Meaning & use
jarring
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Unpleasantly harsh or shocking, especially because it clashes with its surroundings.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb: a jarring noise, the colors were jarring.
Patterns
- jarring to someone
- a jarring contrast
The loud alarm was jarring in the quiet library.
The bright orange sofa looked jarring in the gray room.
There was a jarring contrast between the polite words and his tone.
adjectivebefore a noun
Causing a sudden physical shaking or impact.
Grammar: Describes bumps or shocks: a jarring stop.
The truck hit a jarring bump.
The train came to a jarring halt.
She felt a jarring pain in her wrist.
Word forms
| comparative | more jarring |
|---|---|
| superlative | most jarring |
Common combinations
- jarring contrast
- The jarring contrast between rich and poor shocked him.
- jarring note
- A jarring note ruined the song.
- jarring sound
- A jarring sound woke the baby.
- jarring effect
- The sudden edit had a jarring effect.
- jarring experience
- Moving to a new country was a jarring experience.
Synonyms and how they differ
- discordant
- Discordant describes clashing sounds or ideas and is slightly more formal.
- harsh
- Harsh describes rough or severe things, but need not clash with anything.
- startling
- Startling means surprising, without necessarily being unpleasant.
- grating
- Grating describes sounds that irritate, such as scratching.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: jarring or jaring?
jarring vs jaring
Not a word; the correct spelling is jarring with double r.
Practice
The loud ad after the quiet documentary was ___.
Choose one answer.
Jarring means harsh and clashing, which fits a loud ad after something calm.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “jarring”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.