Discordant, a.
Etymology: [OE. discordant, descordaunt, OF. descordant, discordant, F. discordant, p. pr. of discorder, OF. also, descorder. See Discord, n.]
1. Disagreeing; incongruous; being at variance; clashing; opposing; not harmonious. The discordant elements out of which the emperor had compounded his realm did not coalesce. Motley.
2. Etym: [See Discord, n.,
2.] (Mus.)
Dissonant; not in harmony or musical concord; harsh; jarring; as, discordant notes or sounds. For still their music seemed to start Discordant echoes in each heart. Longfellow.
3 more senses
3. (Geol.)
Said of strata which lack conformity in direction of bedding, either as in unconformability, or as caused by a fault.
Syn. -- Disagreeing; incongruous; contradictory; repugnant; opposite; contrary; inconsistent; dissonant; harsh; jarring; irreconcilable. -- Dis*cord"ant*ly, adv. -- Dis*cord"ant*ness, n. [R.]
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for discordant; he lists it under heterogeneous, incongruous.
Where he writes about it:
Discordant is applied to all things that jar in association like musical notes that are not in accord; inharmonious has the same original sense, but is a milder term. — from incongruous