View synonyms for

jarring

[ jahr-ing ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

having a harshly unpleasant or disturbing effect on one’s nerves, feelings, thoughts, etc.:
The news of my cancer diagnosis was both jarring and devastating.
(of sounds) producing a harshly unpleasant effect; discordant:
I’d much rather wake up to a gentle vibration than to the jarring sound of my phone alarm.
conflicting, clashing, or disagreeing:
There is a jarring contrast between the trees and open space of the peaceful park and its hostile border of gray concrete warehouses and parking garages.
vibrating or shaking; characterized by sudden, jerky movements:
There was enough rock on that trail to make for a jarring ride on a bike with narrow wheels and no suspension.

noun

the act, state, or effect of clashing or conflicting:
Paradoxically, the jarring of an encounter with the arts in the middle of outdoor urban space creates a connection between them.
the act of shaking or the state of being shaken; sudden, jerky movement:
The seats had no padding and I felt bruises forming from the jarring of the truck.
the act of disturbing a person by harsh, discordant sound or by something unsettling, unexpected, or unpleasant:
For UK readers, using the British text edition makes for a comfortable read without the jarring of unfamiliar spelling or phrasing.

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Other Word Forms

�Ჹ��·��Բ�·�� adverb
�ܲ�·�Ჹ��·��Բ� adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of jarring¹

First recorded in 1550–60; jar ²( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses; jar ²( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It’s a jarring, distinctly funny transition, one you might not initially expect from one of Cronenberg’s most personal films.

From

But the most jarring part hasn't been parenting itself — it's been watching how digitally wired my niece's relationship with money already is.

From

Milioti likened her separate selves facing each other to “seeing yourself on video or hearing a voicemail you’ve left. I find it to be really jarring.”

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I couldn’t help but laugh as August — the jokester of the herd — almost managed to knock over the instrument, filling the calm air with a jarring crash.

From

The initially jarring juxtaposition of then and now — fiction and documentary — quickly becomes intoxicating, inviting the viewer to both contemplate the ceaseless passage of time and ponder the seamless temporal transitions.

From

Related Words

Jarrett Jarrow

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