dissonance
a lack of harmony or agreement
Word origin: From Latin dissonare, to sound discordantly.
Dissonance in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing dissonance in a sentence.
There was a clear dissonance between the firm's values and its actions.
Reviewers noted a striking dissonance between the report's optimistic summary and its grim underlying data.
Using “dissonance” well
Dissonance names a clash or lack of harmony, whether literally in sound or figuratively between ideas. It is more abstract and tension-laden than a plain disagreement.
More GRE words starting with D
to engage in something superficially or as a casual pastime
a raised platform for speakers or honored guests
to waste time or act without urgency
to make something slightly wet, or to make a feeling or reaction less strong
marked with spots or patches of color or light
to intimidate or discourage with fear or doubt
to move slowly or waste time idly
a scarcity or shortage of something
Questions about “dissonance”
See these words the way the GRE tests them.
Definitions in isolation do not stick. Sit a free, full-length GRE mock and meet this vocabulary inside real text completion and sentence equivalence questions, with your score and a worked solution for every answer.