discomfort
Americannoun
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an absence of comfort or ease; uneasiness, hardship, or mild pain.
-
anything that is disturbing to or interferes with comfort.
verb (used with object)
noun
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an inconvenience, distress, or mild pain
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something that disturbs or deprives of ease
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has discomfortedperfect 3rd person singular
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have discomfortedperfect
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am discomfortingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been discomfortingperfect progressive
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has been discomfortingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is discomfortingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are discomfortingprogressive
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discomfortingparticiple
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discomfortssingular 3rd person
Past
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had discomfortedperfect
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had been discomfortingperfect progressive
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were discomfortingprogressive plural
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was discomfortingprogressive singular
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discomfortedparticiple
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discomfortedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of discomfort
First recorded in 1300–50; (for the verb) Middle English discomforten “to discourage, pain,” from Anglo-French descomforter “to sadden, grieve”; equivalent to dis- 1 + comfort; noun derivative of verb
Explanation
Discomfort is the feeling of irritation, soreness, or pain that, though not severe, is annoying. Every year, people who get a cold or the flu experience a few days of discomfort. The noun discomfort is good for describing situations when you aren't quite in pain, but you don't feel very good. Things that cause discomfort include a dull toothache, a blister on your foot, and a terrible mattress. Discomfort can also describe embarrassment, like the discomfort you'd feel if you suddenly realized you were in the wrong classroom.
Vocabulary lists containing discomfort
Stay Strong: Forc and Fort
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Smile
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That Hurts! Synonyms for "Pain"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Then again, as we have seen with private-credit funds lately, a heavy discount to NAV can reflect investors’ discomfort with certain asset classes, especially ones that lack liquid markets, such as loans to smaller companies.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Even the most well-adjusted person isn’t immune to the discomfort of emotional whiplash.
From Salon • May 30, 2026
You put yourself in moments of discomfort, and then you just push through.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
"Some inappropriate remarks that I made caused discomfort to local match officials and other related parties," the Australian added.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
A wave of discomfort ripples throughout the table.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
