discomfort
Americannoun
-
discomforts
plural
-
an absence of comfort or ease; uneasiness, hardship, or mild pain.
-
anything that is disturbing to or interferes with comfort.
verb (used with object)
-
discomforts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
discomforted,
past participle, past
-
discomforting
present participle
noun
-
an inconvenience, distress, or mild pain
-
something that disturbs or deprives of ease
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
discomfortsimple
-
discomfortssimple
-
have discomfortedperfect
-
has discomfortedperfect
-
am discomfortingprogressive
-
are discomfortingprogressive
-
is discomfortingprogressive
-
have been discomfortingperfect progressive
-
has been discomfortingperfect progressive
Past
-
discomfortedsimple
-
had discomfortedperfect
-
was discomfortingprogressive
-
were discomfortingprogressive
-
had been discomfortingperfect progressive
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Smile
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
That Hurts! Synonyms for "Pain"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
I sense that part of your discomfort with cutting her off is that this is a new friend, and I can empathize.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
“But that humidity certainly adds to the discomfort and the ‘real feel’ heat,” he added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
"It created discomfort, no doubt about that," Champagne told AFP when asked if the Russian finance minister's unexpected appearance impacted meetings.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
Thanks to my neurologist and the NHS team looking after me, I've managed to regain my speech and reduce the amount of discomfort I'm in - but the pain can, and does, reappear.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
His bandaged arm no longer pained him, and while he was still hungry and thirsty, the water he had drunk had taken some of the edge from his discomfort.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
In India, where marriage and motherhood are regarded as the ultimate goal and a sacred duty for most women, a play talking about the discomforts of a mother comes as a refreshing change.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
As the latest heat wave discomforts Europe, France is arguing about air conditioning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
After the interview, Isaac and co-host Ronald Young Jr. talk about the challenges and discomforts of self-promotion.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2024
They demonstrate that resilience is not always about unwavering composure but about challenging the status quo, addressing discomforts with candor, and urging listeners to find strength beyond the lures of capitalism.
From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2024
“The great humiliation of feeling that I am a prisoner is killing me far more than any other discomforts I have to endure,” he wrote—though in fact he felt no humiliation whatsoever.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
He moved from 45 overnight to his eighth Test score of 50 or more, but was discomforted by the short ball.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2023
Mr. Kriegel’s raw emotion, it was plain, discomforted them.
From New York Times ● Oct. 11, 2022
There were moments when Mitchell played rash drives at James Anderson and was briefly discomforted by short balls from Stokes, while Blundell looked skittish when leg-spinner Matt Parkinson came into the attack.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2022
He was discomforted by the pace of Wood, bowled by the Stokes no-ball on 17, and reprieved on 48 when Burns put down a simple chance at second slip off Robinson's bowling.
From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2021
I apologized by instinct to him for this mishap which discomforted only me.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
Stark, discomforting amplification diminishes intimacy and the luxurious richness of Bullock’s soprano, which easily fills a room on its own, suggests quiet terror, the lonely state of Nina Simone’s “Images.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2026
That calmed worries that had built on Wall Street that the inflation data could show a discomforting reacceleration.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
It is a prospect that has some people bracing for possibly discomforting disclosures.
From New York Times ● Apr. 25, 2023
The discomforting reality is that, while Altman and his ilk have been predicting an exponential acceleration of productivity, we have been experiencing a deceleration.
From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2023
But the fact is, once I had sat down to supper at their table, once a number of their neighbours had come calling, a most discomforting set of events began to unfold around me.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
