as in shrill
marked by or producing a harsh combination of sounds
a very unmusical chorus of squawks from the angry ravens
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Recent Examples of unmusical
Those songs remind Omara of real people and real events, political interludes whose senselessness and brutality have left unmusical lacunae in her life.
—
Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2023
His parents were unmusical Russian-Jewish immigrants who ran various businesses with mixed success.
—The Economist, 3 Oct. 2019
Paradoxically, then, the man most involved in the development of the electric guitar was the unmusical Leo Fender.
—David Kirby, WSJ, 17 Jan. 2019
The controversy of Schoenberg’s serialist works—the overwhelming reaction to them as ugly, nightmarish, simply unmusical—shows how firmly tonality had come to condition habits of listening.
—Paul Grimstad, The New Republic, 21 June 2018
Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2023
His parents were unmusical Russian-Jewish immigrants who ran various businesses with mixed success.
—The Economist, 3 Oct. 2019
Paradoxically, then, the man most involved in the development of the electric guitar was the unmusical Leo Fender.
—David Kirby, WSJ, 17 Jan. 2019
The controversy of Schoenberg’s serialist works—the overwhelming reaction to them as ugly, nightmarish, simply unmusical—shows how firmly tonality had come to condition habits of listening.
—Paul Grimstad, The New Republic, 21 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unmusical
Adjective
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Shakespeare’s play assumes the shrieks and shrill cries of a B-movie.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2025
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Crucially, there’s very little reason to care about how Simon and Claire will take the break-ups, when both are such unbearably shrill stereotypes.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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To fix a noisy box spring, add sturdy material, such as thick cardboard or a thin piece of plywood in between the box spring and mattress.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
27 Feb. 2025
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Despite being a man down, Ruben Amorim’s side were relatively comfortable in the second half as a noisy Old Trafford crowd enjoyed a win that increased the gap between the two teams to 16 points.—
Laurie Whitwell,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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These dissonant elements have been in the DNA of Short n’ Sweet from the start.—
Abby Aguirre,
Vogue,
11 Feb. 2025
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The growling in the intro, the very advanced, dissonant piano parts and the crazy vocal performance ended me.—
Lily Moayeri,
SPIN,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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These days however, an all-white or all-gray bathroom can act as an unpleasant symbol of an outdated trend, and may seem seriously lacking in pizazz.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2025
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This can be an unpleasant odor for humans to encounter, but the critters in the video seem enthusiastic about interacting with the eau de skunk.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Think: her metallic foil fringe hairdo at 2019’s Way Out West Festival or literally any of her front row fashion week looks.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
26 Feb. 2025
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To toughen yours up, add edgy accessories like lug-sole boots, a metallic top-handle bag, and an oversized black coat.—
Cortne Bonilla,
Vogue,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Setting Discordant Personal Goals A 2023 study published in Current Psychology finds that partners’ inharmonious goals can have detrimental effects on relationships.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
29 Mar. 2024
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For sixteen hours a week, Valentine hopes to share some melody in a place that, for some, can feel inharmonious.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
24 July 2021
Adjective
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But with the emergence of digital media, today's cacophonous environment features billions of podcasts, blogs, streaming channels, and social media influencer accounts that each cater to micro-viewerships with zero editorial oversight or accountability.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
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There is a primordial quality to the woods that oscillates between cacophonous forest chatter and eerie silence in the space of a ridge or two.—
Laura Lancaster,
Outdoor Life,
2 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unmusical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmusical. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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