1. the quality of being harsh, grating, or discordant in sound
2. the quality of being forceful or aggressive in manner or speech

Examples

• The stridence of the alarm clock jolted her awake.
• His voice had a metallic stridence that made listening difficult.
• The stridence of her argument alienated potential supporters.
• The violin’s stridence suggested it needed new strings.
• She was put off by the stridence of his political views.
• The stridence of the debate made productive discussion impossible.