discomfit

[ dis-kuhm-fit ]

/ dɪsˈkʌm fɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR discomfit ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to confuse and deject; disconcert: to be discomfited by a question.

to frustrate the plans of; thwart; foil.

Archaic. to defeat utterly; rout: The army was discomfited in every battle.

noun

Archaic. rout; defeat.

Nearby words

discolor, discoloration, discolour, discombobulate, discombobulated, discomfit, discomfiture, discomfort, discomfortable, discommend, discommode

Origin of discomfit

1175–1225; Middle English < Anglo-French descunfit, Old French desconfit, past participle of desconfire, equivalent to des- dis-¹ + confire to make, accomplish < Latin conficere; see confect

SYNONYMS FOR discomfit

1 discompose, embarrass, disturb.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR discomfit ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsdis·com·fit·er, nounun·dis·com·fit·ed, adjective

Can be confuseddiscomfit discomfort

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for discomfiting

While comparisons are obvious, Ryan's use of the discomfiting capital-T "they" got me thinking: who exactly were "they"?
The MEK And 1979 Comparisons|Ali Gharib|September 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Most of the time, subtle cues—a flag, for instance—have a powerful, discomfiting pull on our behavior.
Your Brain Is Not as Rational as You May Think It Is|Jesse Singal|April 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The GOP debates have already been entertaining, unpredictable, and discomfiting for the candidates.
The Two GOP Candidates Being Shut Out|Jill Lawrence|October 29, 2011|DAILY BEAST
"For the object of discomfiting a third adversary," filled in Korynthia.
The Green Book|Mr Jkai

Brougham perceived the opportunity of discomfiting the hated Melbourne, and he pressed it.
Sixty Years a Queen|Sir Herbert Maxwell
No one being there, the goldsmith went elsewhere in search of his wife, leaving the scholar to a discomfiting solitude.
Captain Ravenshaw|Robert Neilson Stephens
It was discomfiting, that cool, penetrating, searching gaze.
The Mutiny of the Elsinore|Jack London
Their nearness was a discomfiting thing to Lyster, for it was not easy to carry on a conversation under their watchful eyes.
That Girl Montana|Marah Ellis Ryan

British Dictionary definitions for discomfiting

discomfit

/ (dɪsˈkʌmfɪt) /

verb (tr)

to make uneasy, confused, or embarrassed

to frustrate the plans or purpose of

archaic to defeat in battle

Derived Formsdiscomfiter, noundiscomfiture, noun

Word Origin for discomfit

C14: from Old French desconfire to destroy, from des- (indicating reversal) + confire to make, from Latin conficere to produce; see confect

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for discomfiting

discomfit

c.1200, as an adjective, from Old French desconfit "vanquished, defeated," past participle of desconfire "to defeat, destroy," from des- "not" (see dis-) + confire "make, prepare, accomplish," from Latin conficere (see confection).

Used as a verb in English from c.1300. Weaker sense of "disconcert" is first recorded 1520s in English, probably by confusion with discomfort. Related: Discomfited; discomfiting.

discomfit

verb (used with object)

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of discomfit

Examples from the Web for discomfiting

British Dictionary definitions for discomfiting

discomfit

verb (tr)

Word Origin for discomfit

Word Origin and History for discomfiting

discomfit