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unmelodious

unmelodious

8.0
Not having a pleasant, musical sound
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈmɛlədiəs/
translation icon : inarmónico
  • The voices of the birds were unmelodious, but their plumage was brilliant.

Examples

  • He could tolerate only music that was atonal, harsh, and unmelodious.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Despite the singer's talent, her new album included several unmelodious tracks that failed to resonate with the audience.

  • Someone put a coin into the jukebox and plunged that human cesspit into perfect, unmelodious gloom.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • But he's entered the concerto at a slow, unmelodious plinking of key and string and so substitutes Vivaldi, who will keep him jiggling all the way home.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The factory's machinery produced an unmelodious clanging that echoed through the halls.

  • The sound of the wind whipping through the trees was unmelodious, creating an eerie atmosphere in the deserted park.

Synonyms

raucous
vsunmelodious
31 7.1

Making a loud, rough, and unpleasant sound that hurts your ears

is less about loudness and more about unpleasant musical quality
jarring
vsunmelodious
20 6.1

A loud, harsh sound that feels unpleasant and surprising

is about general unpleasant sound rather than sudden startling effect
gravelly
vsunmelodious
7 6.5

A low, rough voice that sounds harsh and scratchy

covers broader unpleasant or discordant sound, not only low roughness
dissonant
vsunmelodious
  • Specialized
3 7.3

A combination of musical notes that sounds harsh and unsettled

focuses more on outright unpleasant or discordant sound quality
cacophonous
vsunmelodious
2 8.4

Making a loud, harsh noise that is unpleasant to hear

is less about sheer noise mixture and more about unpleasant tone
tuneless
vsunmelodious
1 5.3

A sound that does not have a pleasant tune when sung

adds that the sound is harsh or discordant beyond lacking melody
unmusical
vsunmelodious
1 6.0

Having a harsh sound that is not pleasant to hear

emphasizes active harshness and discord rather than simple unmusicalness
cacophonic
vsunmelodious
1 9.3

Has a loud, harsh sound that is unpleasant

is focused more on musical harshness than general unpleasantness
grating
vsunmelodious
1 6.2

A harsh, unpleasant sound or voice that is hard to listen to

is broader, indicating unpleasant sound even without the jarring edge
unpleasing
vsunmelodious
1 4.8

Unpleasant to the senses, like a bitter taste or bright light

is specific to harsh or discordant sounds rather than general unpleasantness
unmelodic
vsunmelodious
6.5

A voice or music that is not pleasant to hear

focuses more on harsh or discordant quality than mere lack of melody
untuneful
vsunmelodious
5.7

Not making a pleasant tune

stresses a harsh or unpleasant sound rather than just no tune
unharmonious
vsunmelodious
7.3

Not pleasing together in sound, color or feeling

focuses more narrowly on harsh sound and discord than general mismatch
inharmonic
vsunmelodious
9.9

A sound that does not fit with other tones and seems rough

is broader, highlighting unpleasant or discordant sound generally
disharmonic
vsunmelodious
7.7

A sound that clashes with other sounds and feels unpleasant

is similar but stresses overall harshness rather than technical disharmony
inconsonant
vsunmelodious
9.9

Making a harsh, clashing sound

is broader, highlighting unpleasantness beyond musical clash
harsh-voiced
vsunmelodious
6.8

A voice or sound that is rough and unpleasant

focuses more on harshness of overall sound, not just voice timbre
rasping
vsunmelodious
6.9

Harsh and rough in a way that hurts the ears

describes unpleasant sound generally rather than that specific rough noise
dysphonic
vsunmelodious
9.8

A harsh, unpleasant sound that hurts the ears

is the general idea of unpleasant or discordant sound without medical nuance
clashy
vsunmelodious
8.4

Having a harsh, unpleasant mix of colors, sounds, or styles

focuses more on sound unpleasantness rather than broader mismatches in style
unattuned
vsunmelodious
7.5

Not tuned to the correct musical pitch

speaks more to an unpleasant or discordant sound regardless of tuning cause
nonharmonic
vsunmelodious
  • Specialized
9.1

A note that does not fit the other notes and sounds different

is broader, naming unpleasant or discordant sound rather than harmonic fit issues
anharmonic
vsunmelodious
  • Specialized
9.6

A sound whose higher tones are not exact multiples of the main tone and that often sounds metallic

is the general unpleasant or discordant sound, not the technical overtone cause

Antonyms

63 1.7

Having a pleasing sound like a song

7 4.0

Has a pleasant, musical sound

How Melodious

melodious
7 4.0
melodic
18 3.9
unmelodious
8.0
discordant
9 7.4

Surface Forms

unmelodious positive

Morphology

unmelodious = melodious (transparent) = un + melody + ous

The negative prefix 'un-' is applied regularly to the adjective 'melodious', producing the straightforward opposite meaning.

Etymology

Unmelodious combines the prefix un- ('not') with the same root as melody, from the old Greek word melos meaning 'song'. So unmelodious means 'not musical' or 'not pleasant to hear'.