atonal

adjective

Definition of atonalnext
as in tuneless

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of atonal Via new music, staging and projections, the concerts include One Morning Turns Into An Eternity, which examines deep grief and trauma as well as transcendence through atonal and meditative works. — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 17 Mar. 2026 Then, in 2015, the artist Robin Rhode chose Times Square on a Saturday night as the site for his interpretation of a slow-motion, atonal Arnold Schönberg opera. — Rachel Corbett, Curbed, 22 Dec. 2025 Other cuts start as pop songs before crashing into atonal messes and freak rock chaos. — Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025 Riley, a Northern California native, who has always exuded a Zen-like geniality, was part of a generation of young American composers who had turned away from audience-alienating atonal music, which had been proselytized by their teachers in the science-minded postwar academy. — William Robin, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for atonal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atonal
  1. tuneless
  2. unpleasant
  3. disagreeable
  4. off-key
  5. metallic
  6. sonorous
Adjective
  • Her aesthetics and tuneless vocals left audiences in awe and laughter.
    — Raquel Willis, Time, 19 June 2025
  • For the rest of us, a real musical comedy is a cause for celebration; most are either too tuneless to be musicals or too dull to be comedies.
    — Jesse Green, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of tuneless
Adjective
  • Activewear After sweating it out in your beloved activewear, avoid using the hotter temperatures in the washing machine to sanitize and remove unpleasant odors.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The mediocre screen was an unpleasant surprise given that this thing advertised 100 percent sRGB gamut coverage when it was announced and on its product page for many weeks (the Internet Archive captures it here).
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • Mistaking being disagreeable with the act of disagreeing is common - especially in unsafe psychological workplaces.
    — Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • There are also a lot of people who have never dreamed of being disagreeable in public, much less considered joining a raucous social movement.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
Definition of disagreeable
Adjective
  • By 1988, when Phantom debuted on Broadway, the Reagan-era consumer culture and flashy opulence were on their way out, so the ornate, maximalist sets and the lush orchestrations felt off-key to reviewers.
    — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Nobody wants to be subjected to one more triggering, off-key note of an Edwin Díaz dirge.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of off-key
Adjective
  • To get a better understanding of who this individual was, researchers have spent the past few years conducting a detailed analysis of the remains’ DNA and isotopes, and the chemical properties of the metallic artefacts and the decorative band.
    — Mike McRae August 25, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The embellished number was covered in chains and grommets in a mix of metallic finishes.
    — Kelsey Stiegman, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of metallic
Adjective
  • Assuming the role of a human clapper, Holzinger struck its lip again and again, sending a sonorous peal across the Biennale grounds.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026
  • In addition to his film, TV and theater work, Yun has also narrated a ton of Korean documentaries over the years thanks to his sonorous voice.
    — Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Definition of sonorous

Browse Nearby Words

atoms
atonal
at once
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Cite this Entry

“Atonal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atonal. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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