dissonance

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For some, the LP may be gorgeous to a fault—musically, there’s very little friction or dissonance on the album, nothing harsh to dislodge you from the spell the record casts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

For a few, doubt creeps in, but most overcome their cognitive dissonance and reinflate the bubble of credulity that constitutes their comfort zone.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

He started running cross-country in fifth grade and it brought him a sense of freedom — from the dissonance inside his mind as well as from the house.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

I predicted this miserable state of affairs back in 2017, after interviewing psychology experts on cognitive dissonance.

From Salon • Jan. 19, 2026

By contrast, the pain suggested by dissonance - the clashing of adjacent notes - is almost entirely absent from music written between 1750 and 1800.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall