discord
gb/dˈɪskɔɹd/ us/dˈɪskɔɹd/
B2
English
~ 8400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
state
1
serious disagreement or conflict
strong and continuing disagreement between people or groups
Usage pattern:
[discord] between [people or groups]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "discord" with "discourse". "Discord" means disagreement or conflict, while "discourse" means spoken or written communication or discussion.
Synonyms
conflict (a broad term for serious disagreement, often involving struggle or fighting)
|
dispute (suggests an argument, often about a specific issue)
|
strife (more literary and emotional, suggests bitter and long-lasting conflict)
|
friction (suggests ongoing tension or minor conflict rather than open fighting)
Antonyms
harmony (suggests peaceful and pleasant relations between people)
|
agreement (focuses on having the same opinion or decision instead of disagreement)
|
unity (emphasizes people being joined together rather than divided)
Collocations
cause discord
|create discord
|political discord
|family discord
|marital discord
|social discord
Themes
relationships
|politics
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Years of political discord have weakened trust in the government.
- There was growing discord within the team over how to use the budget.
- The inheritance created deep discord among the siblings.
- Religious discord in the region has sometimes led to violence.
- The manager tried to calm the discord between the two departments.
Learner examples
- There is a lot of discord in the family after the divorce.
- Social media can sometimes increase discord in society.
- The new rule caused discord between workers and bosses.
- We must avoid discord and try to talk calmly.
- Discord in the group made it hard to finish the project.
Noun
formal
C1
state
2
lack of agreement between things
when ideas, facts, or statements do not match or fit well together
Usage pattern:
[discord] between [thing] and [thing]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this sense of "discord" for simple differences. For basic differences between ideas or numbers, "difference" or "discrepancy" is often more natural; "discord" suggests a stronger or more serious lack of fit.
Synonyms
inconsistency (stresses a lack of logical or regular connection between things)
|
discrepancy (often used for numbers, reports, or accounts that do not match)
|
mismatch (more informal; suggests two things do not fit or go together well)
Antonyms
consistency (focuses on things staying the same and fitting together logically)
|
accord (formal; stresses agreement or harmony between things)
Collocations
discord between words and actions
|discord between theory and practice
|discord between reports
|discord between results
Themes
communication
|science
|philosophy
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- There is clear discord between his public promises and his private actions.
- Scientists noted a troubling discord between the two sets of experimental data.
- The report highlights a discord between the company’s stated values and its actual practices.
- This discord between theory and reality makes the model hard to apply.
- Her calm tone was in discord with the harshness of her words.
Learner examples
- There is discord between what he says and what he does.
- The numbers show discord between the two studies.
- We found discord between the plan on paper and the real work.
- This discord between rules and behavior is a big problem.
- The judge saw discord between their two stories.
Noun
technical
C1
property
3
unpleasant combination of musical sounds
a group of musical notes that sound tense or unpleasant together
Usage pattern:
[discord] between [musical notes]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes assume this musical sense is the main meaning in everyday language. In modern general English, the conflict/disagreement sense is much more common.
Synonyms
dissonance (standard musical term; more common than "discord" in modern music theory)
Antonyms
harmony (general term for pleasant-sounding combinations of musical notes)
|
consonance (technical musical term for stable, resolved-sounding combinations of notes)
Collocations
harsh discord
|jarring discord
|clashing discord
|a chord of discord
Themes
music
|art
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The sudden discord in the strings made the audience sit up straight.
- The composer uses discord at key moments to create a feeling of tension.
- A sharp discord between the brass and woodwinds opened the piece.
- After several bars of discord, the music finally resolves into a calm harmony.
- The film score relies on discord to signal danger and unease.
Learner examples
- The movie uses musical discord to make the viewer feel afraid.
- A moment of discord in the song catches the ear.
- The composer adds discord before the happy ending.
- Discord in the music shows that something is wrong.
- The piece starts with discord and ends in harmony.
Verb
archaic
C2
action
4
to be out of harmony
to not fit or agree with something (old use)
Usage pattern:
[something] discords with [something]
Common mistake:
Modern English speakers almost never use "discord" as a verb; learners should normally choose verbs like "clash with" or "conflict with" instead.
Synonyms
clash (modern and common; suggests an obvious lack of agreement or fit)
Antonyms
accord (formal; means to agree or be in harmony with something)
Collocations
discords with
|discords from
|ideas that discord
Themes
relationships
|literary
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- His actions discord with his noble words.
- Such cruelty discords with the gentle image he presents in public.
- The harsh colors discord with the calm mood of the room.
Learner examples
- This style discords with the rest of the painting.
- Her rude voice discords with her friendly face.
- The joke discords with the serious topic.
Grammar
Dictionary form
discord
IPA
GB/dˈɪskɔɹd/
US/dˈɪskɔɹd/
Syllables & stress
dis - cord (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (dis)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: discord
- Plural: discord, discords
Verb
- Base: discord
- 3rd Person Singular: discords
- Present Participle: discording
- Past: discorded
Word family
Forms
discords
noun
discording
verb
discorded
verb
Core family
discordant
adjective
Advanced or less common
discordance
noun
discordantly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
concord
noun C1
concordant
adjective
Expressions
a note of discord
1/ə nˈoʊt əv dˈɪskɔɹd/
idiom
element that clashes with harmony
something in a situation that feels wrong or out of place and breaks the feeling of peace or agreement
Examples
- Her angry speech struck a note of discord in an otherwise friendly meeting.
- The layoffs sounded a note of discord in the company’s celebrations.
- One negative review added a note of discord to the film’s praise.
seed of discord
1/sˈid əv dˈɪskɔɹd/
idiom
beginning cause of conflict
a small problem, action, or idea that later grows into serious conflict between people
Examples
- That careless joke was the seed of discord between them.
- The unequal pay structure became a seed of discord in the company.
- Their parents’ clear preference for one child planted a seed of discord in the family.
sow discord
1/sˈoʊ dˈɪskɔɹd/
idiom
create conflict between people
To make people start to argue or be angry with each other.
Examples
- Fake accounts were used to sow discord between different groups online.
- His constant criticism only sowed discord within the team.
- They accused the foreign government of trying to sow discord in the region.
sow discord
2/sˈoʊ dˈɪskɔɹd/
idiom
deliberately cause conflict
to say or do things that make people argue and stop trusting each other
Examples
- The false rumors were designed to sow discord within the community.
- Foreign hackers tried to sow discord by spreading lies on social media.
- He enjoys sowing discord between coworkers by repeating their private comments.