Dissonance
Jazz chords, mixed signals, and cognitive science all borrow this term for things that clash without resolving cleanly.
Learn This WordMeaning
A lack of harmony; tension or clash between ideas, sounds, or feelings.
Memory trick
DIS-SONANCE = "bad sound", things that don’t sound or sit together well.
Examples
There was cognitive dissonance between his values and his daily habits.
The chord created harsh dissonance before resolving into a calm major triad.
The dissonance between the headline and the data confused readers.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin dissonantia "discord," from dis- "apart" + sonare "to sound."
Usage Notes
Common in psychology ("cognitive dissonance") and music; also useful for describing mismatched messaging or culture.
Real-life contexts
Use for self-awareness: "I feel dissonance between what I say and what I do."
Use for UX: "That copy creates dissonance with the error state."
Use for culture: "There’s dissonance between our stated values and our incentives."
Common Mistakes
Dissonance is not the same as "disagreement" in a debate, it emphasizes clashing elements that don’t fit together.
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Part of Speech
noun
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Related Words
Incongruous
Not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings; out of place; incompatible.
Reconcile
To restore friendly relations; to make two ideas, facts, or accounts consistent with each other.
Paradox
A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated may prove to be well-founded or true.