discordant
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /dɪsˈkɔːdn̩t/
ipa: /dɪsˈkoɹdənt/
rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)dənt
Forms: form: more discordant
form: most discordant
form: discordaunt
Etymology: From Late Middle English discordaunt (“(adjective) not in accord or harmony; dissonant; (noun) element not in accord or harmony”), from Anglo-Norman descorda(u)nt, discorda(u)nt, Middle French descordant, discordant, and Old French descordant, discordant (“of people: quarrelsome; of things: in disagreement, at variance”) (modern French discordant), an adjective use of the present participle of descorder, discorder (“to fail to agree or harmonize, clash, disagree, discord”), from Latin discordāre, the present active infinitive of discordō (“to disagree, quarrel with”), from discors (“discordant, different, inharmonious”) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs). Discors is derived from dis- (“prefix meaning ‘apart, in two’”) + cor (“heart; (figurative) mind; soul”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱḗr (“heart”)). By surface analysis, discord (noun) + -ant (suffix forming adjectives from nouns with the sense ‘exhibiting [the condition or process described by the noun]’).
Senses: examples: text: For it is poſſible long ſtudy may encreaſe, and confirm erroneous Sentences: and vvhere men build on falſe grounds, the more they build, the greater is the ruine: and of thoſe that ſtudy, and obſerve vvith equall time, and diligence, the reaſons and reſolutions are, and muſt remain diſcordant: […]
ref: 1651, Thomas Hobbes, “Of Civill Lawes”, in Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme, & Power of a Common-wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civill, London: […] [William Wilson] for Andrew Crooke, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Of Common-wealth), page 140:
text: [T]hat vvhich vve call Conſcience is to be referred, namely, if by a due compariſon of things done vvith the rule, there be a conſonancy follovvs the ſentence Approbation; if diſcordant from it, the ſentence of Condemnation.
ref: a. 1677 (date written), Matthew Hale, “Touching the Excellency of the Humane Nature in General”, in The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature, London: […] William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery, […], published 1677, →OCLC, section I, page 57:
text: Thy ſenate is a ſcene of civil jar, / Chaos of contrarieties at vvar, / VVhere ſharp and ſolid, phlegmatic and light, / Diſcordant atoms meet, ferment and fight, […]
ref: 1781 (date written), William Cowper, “Expostulation”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1782, →OCLC, page 118:
text: If, after all, he should experience an evil or unpleasant impression, let him throw aside first these volumes, as the lightest; then Cicero, Demosthenes, and every one else whose political notions, so discordant from those now prevalent, are represented in them; […]
ref: 1824, Walter Savage Landor, “Preface”, in Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen, volume I, London: […] Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, page xi:
text: It is very probable, that Hephaistos and other deities may have been known under forms of tradition variously modified, in Troas and in Greece respectively; and, indeed, in different portions of one and the same country. These forms, however distinct or discordant, the plan of Homer required him in some manner to amalgamate.
ref: 1869, William Ewart Gladstone, “Resemblances and Differences between the Greeks and the Trojans”, in Juventus Mundi: The Gods and Men of the Heroic Age, London: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, pages 453–454:
synonyms: absonant
absonous
at variance
disconsonant
discordable
inaccordant
inconcinnous
incongruent
inconsonant
nonconcordant
unwedded
antonyms: accordant
concordant
consonant
nondiscordant
undiscordant
glosses: Not in accord or harmony; conflicting, incompatible.
examples: text: Rumour is a pipe, / Blovvne by ſurmizes, Iealouſies[,] coniectures, / And of ſo eaſie, and ſo plaine a ſtop, / That the blunt monſter, vvith vncounted heads, / The ſtill diſcordant vvau'ring multitude, / Can play vpon it.
ref: c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i (induction)], signature A2, recto:
text: Yet this Baſilius [Basil I, who had Michael III assassinated] vvaſhed his hands and made many Proteſtations that he had no hand in his blood. This made for the Popes advantage: VVomen and Rebels and Traytors and diſcordant Princes did much in raiſing him.
ref: 1680, Richard Baxter, “Of the Councils after Ignatius and Photius, and Some Others”, in Church-history of the Government of Bishops and Their Councils Abbreviated. […], London: […] [Bennet Griffin?] and are to be sold by John Kidgell, […], →OCLC, §. 51, page 273:
synonyms: word: absonant
word: absonous
word: at variance
word: disconsonant
word: discordable
word: inaccordant
word: inconcinnous
word: incongruent
word: inconsonant
word: nonconcordant
word: unwedded
word: agonistic
word: argumentative
word: bangsome
word: bellicose
word: belligerent
word: contentious
word: debateful
word: discordant
word: disputatious
word: factious
word: fractious
word: fratchety
word: fratchy
word: litigious
word: logomachic
word: pettifogging
word: quarrelous
word: quarrelsome
word: rantankerous
word: squabbly
word: strifeful
word: unpacific
antonyms: accordant
concordant
consonant
nondiscordant
undiscordant
glosses: Not in accord or harmony; conflicting, incompatible.
Of people: disagreeing with each other; dissenting, quarrelsome.
examples: text: [N]o other kind of liuing beaſtes both behold the fayrenes and the bewtie of the wordle^([sic – meaning worlde]), or is moued with anny reſpect of ſauours, but only for the diuerſity of meates, nother perceaueth the concordaunt and diſcordante diſtaunces of ſoundes, and tunes […]
ref: 1551, Thomas More, “The Second Boke of the Communycacion of Raphael Hythlodaye, Concernynge the Best State of a Commen Wealthe: Cõteynyng the Discription of Utopia, with a Large Declaration of the Godly Gouernement, and of All the Good Lawes and Orders of the Same Ilande. Of Their Iourneyenge or Trauaylynge Abrode, with Dyuers Other Matters Cunnyngly Reasoned ⁊ Wittilie Discussed.”, in Raphe Robynson [i.e., Ralph Robinson], transl., A Fruteful, and Pleasaunt Worke of the Best State of a Publyque Weale, and of the Newe Yle Called Utopia: […], London: […] [Steven Mierdman for] Abraham Vele, […], →OCLC, signatures [M.vi.], recto – [M.vi.], verso:
text: But hovv fatally ſecure ſhould vve be, if God ſhould permit this Syren alvvaies to entertain us vvith her muſic, and ſhould not by ſome diſcordant grating notes, interrupt our raptures, and recal us to ſober thoughts?
ref: 1675, [Richard Allestree], “Sect[ion] VIII. Of the Advantage of Afflictions.”, in The Art of Contentment. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: At the [Sheldonian] Theater […], →OCLC, paragraph 5, page 139:
text: VVar, vvith diſcordant Notes and jarring Noiſe, / The Harmony of Peace deſtroys.
ref: 1701 (date written), [William] Congreve, A Hymn to Harmony, Written in Honour of St. Cecilia’s Day, MDCCI. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], published 22 December 1702 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1703), →OCLC, stanza VI, page 5:
text: In the heart / No paſſion touches a diſcordant ſtring, / But all is harmony and love.
ref: 1785, William Cowper, “Book VI. The Winter Walk at Noon.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 271:
text: [T]rue, Mac's apology and subsequent behaviour rather raised him in the opinion of his fellow-castaways. But the discordant note had been struck, and its harmonics tingled in the brain.
ref: 1892, Robert Louis Stevenson, Lloyd Osbourne, “The Budget of the ‘Currency Lass’”, in The Wrecker, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, […], →OCLC, page 377:
text: With this shift in both what shows are being made, and in what viewers desire, the genre hearteningly appears to be reverting to its roots of being an entertainment spectacular, giving the space for novelty and mad-cap amusement that's presented in a warm and humorous way. After a discordant patch, it's in tune again – even if some auditionees, as ever, are not.
ref: 2021 September 15, Laura Martin, “How Talent Shows Became TV’s Most Bizarre Programmes”, in BBC Online, archived from the original on 22 Jul 2025:
synonyms: word: absonant
word: absonous
word: at variance
word: disconsonant
word: discordable
word: inaccordant
word: inconcinnous
word: incongruent
word: inconsonant
word: nonconcordant
word: unwedded
word: inharmonic
word: misharmonized
word: skronky
word: absonant
word: cacophonic
word: cacophonical
word: cacophonious
word: cacophonous
word: discordant
word: disharmonious
word: dissonant
word: honeyed
word: horrisonant
word: horrisonous
word: immelodious
word: inharmonious
word: insonorous
word: noneuphonious
word: nonsonorous
word: raucous
word: scabrous
word: tuneless
word: uneuphonious
word: unmusical
word: unharmonious
word: unlistenable
word: unmellifluous
word: unmelodic
word: unmelodious
word: untunable
word: unsonorous
antonyms: accordant
concordant
consonant
nondiscordant
undiscordant
accordant
concordant
nondiscordant
undiscordant
undiscording
glosses: Not in accord or harmony; conflicting, incompatible.
Of sounds: harsh, jarring; specifically (music), of musical notes or tunes: not in harmony; dissonant, inharmonious.
examples: text: Dikes may be discordant to country rock if they intrude at a high angle to the bedding.
topics: geography
geology
natural-sciences
antonyms: concordant
glosses: Of a rock formation or other land feature, or its alignment: cutting across or transverse to neighbouring features.
topics: geography
geology
natural-sciences
antonyms: concordant
glosses: Of a rock formation or other land feature, or its alignment: cutting across or transverse to neighbouring features.
Of a coastline: having bands of different types of rock running transversely to the coast, leading to the formation of alternating bays and headlands.
topics: biology
genetics
medicine
natural-sciences
sciences
glosses: Of two similar subjects, especially twins: differing in some characteristic.
topics: government
healthcare
glosses: Ellipsis of serodiscordant (“of a couple: with one partner HIV positive and the other HIV negative”).
topics: mathematics
sciences
statistics
antonyms: concordant
glosses: Of figures, etc.: having opposite signs (for example, positive and negative).
Derived terms: discordantly
discordantness
immunodiscordant
nondiscordant
undiscordant
Related terms: discord
discordance