dissonance

Definitions

dis- (apart) + son (sound) + -ance = 'a sounding-apart.' Notes that clash instead of blending create dissonance. The idea of two things that won't harmonize was borrowed by psychology: cognitive dissonance is two beliefs clashing in your head.

Why It Means This

The musical sense — clashing, unresolved notes — is the source image. Psychology made it famous in 'cognitive dissonance,' the uncomfortable mental friction of holding two beliefs that don't fit together, like two notes that refuse to harmonize.

Common Collocations

• 1.cognitive dissonance认知失调
• 2.create dissonance制造不和谐
• 3.musical dissonance音乐上的不和谐
• 4.a sense of dissonance一种矛盾感

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The composer uses dissonance to make the listener feel uneasy.

• 2.

  There was a clear dissonance between what the company said and what it did.

• 3.

  Smokers often feel cognitive dissonance about the risks they take.