inharmonic
Not in tune
Inharmonic describes sounds or tones that lack harmony—frequencies that don't align in the pleasing mathematical ratios that produce musical consonance.
In acoustics and music theory, inharmonic partials are overtones that deviate from the harmonic series, giving instruments like bells and pianos their distinctive timbres: The inharmonic qualities of the gong created an unsettling resonance.
More broadly, anything discordant or clashing can be inharmonic.
Lack of harmony
- cacophonyHarsh, clashing sounds
- jarringDisturbingly incongruous
- gratingCrossed bars or harsh
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
strident · harsh · discord · atonal · off-key · raucous · screeching · abrasive
Incomplete sets or components
- overtonesImplicit secondary meanings
- spectralGhostlike or wavelength-related
- fundamentalForming the base
- frequencyRate of recurrence
waveform · beats · timbre · resonance · pitch · oscillation · amplitude · interference
Opposition between parties
- frictionResistance between touching surfaces
- discordLack of agreement
- disagreementAbsence of shared opinion
- tensionStretched or strained state
incompatibility · mismatch · clashing · strife · opposition · disparity · incongruity · disunity
dissonance
Lack of harmony
clash · strident · harsh · discord · atonal · off-key · raucous · screeching · abrasive · discordance
partials
Incomplete sets or components
- overtonesImplicit secondary meanings
- spectralGhostlike or wavelength-related
- fundamentalForming the base
frequency · waveform · beats · timbre · resonance · pitch · oscillation · amplitude · interference · phase
conflict
Opposition between parties
- frictionResistance between touching surfaces
- discordLack of agreement
- disagreementAbsence of shared opinion
tension · incompatibility · mismatch · clashing · strife · opposition · disparity · incongruity · disunity · dissension
inharmonicharmonic
Of musical overtones
harmonious · consonant · resonant · concordant · in tune
inharmoniceuphonious
Pleasing to hear
melodious · dulcet · mellifluous · musical · lyrical