discomfort

[ dis-kuhm-fert ]

/ dɪsˈkʌm fərt /

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See synonyms for: discomfort / discomforted / discomforting on Thesaurus.com

noun

an absence of comfort or ease; uneasiness, hardship, or mild pain.

anything that is disturbing to or interferes with comfort.

verb (used with object)

to disturb the comfort or happiness of; make uncomfortable or uneasy.

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Origin of discomfort

1300–50; (v.) Middle English discomforten to discourage, pain <Anglo-French descomforter to sadden, grieve; see dis-¹, comfort; (noun) Middle English <Anglo-French, derivative of v.

OTHER WORDS FROM discomfort

dis·com·fort·a·ble

[dis-kuhm-fer-tuh-buhl, -kuhmf-tuh-], /dɪsˈkʌm fər tə bəl, -ˈkʌmf tə-/, adjectivedis·com·fort·ing·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH discomfort

discomfit, discomfort

Words nearby discomfort

discolour, discombobulate, discombobulated, discomfit, discomfiture, discomfort, discomfortable, discommend, discommode, discommodity, discommon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use discomfort in a sentence

Keep those toes warmYour extremities might be the most important parts of your body to care for and pay attention to as you seek to prevent discomfort and cold injuries such as frostbite.
How to stay warm while sleeping in the frigid outdoors|Alisha McDarris|February 12, 2021|Popular-Science
While Hart’s research shows that people generally overestimate the discomfort level, plainly there are limits.
Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question? (Ep. 451)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 11, 2021|Freakonomics
Unfortunately, there’s no way to prevent this, but getting the shot in your non-dominant arm can mean less discomfort the following day, which you can then treat with a warm compress.
How to prepare for getting the COVID-19 vaccine|Tara Santora|February 8, 2021|Popular-Science
Aside from the obvious discomfort when wearing cold, wet clothing, it is actually dangerous.
Best winter gloves: Our picks for touch screen gloves, ski gloves, and more|PopSci Commerce Team|February 2, 2021|Popular-Science

Get some backupIn the gaming community, some see gaming sickness as a weakness, but there’s absolutely no shame in getting some help if it means reducing discomfort and playing for a little while longer.
Video games can cause motion sickness—here’s how to fight it|Sandra Gutierrez G.|February 2, 2021|Popular-Science
Scrolling through this hate-filled manifesto for the first time made the hairs on my arm tingle with discomfort.
Reverend Jeremiah Wright Was Worse Than Scalise|Ron Christie|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He uses some combination of the words comfort or discomfort in regards to how he feels about situations over 30 times.
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player|William O’Connor|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All under the same roof— but a place containing extremes of comfort and discomfort.
Flying Coach Is the New Hell: How Airlines Engineer You Out of Room|Clive Irving|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For most people, just saying the name Manson is enough to prompt discomfort.
Mrs. Manson, Hometown Antihero|Justin Glawe|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My discomfort stemmed from the inherent gulf between the two disciplines.
We Interrupt This Broadcast: How a TV Producer Learned to Write Fiction|George Lerner|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The rest is easy, though you may be subjected to some slight discomfort between this and Grenoble.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
The excitement of the occasion may prevent immediate discomfort in such cases, but it adds to the subsequent danger.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
It became possible to breathe without discomfort to the lungs; my eyes no longer stung and watered.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
She was delicate and unaccustomed to privation and discomfort—and the cottage had its disadvantages.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Margaret tried to talk of other things, but was in too much discomfort to exert herself enough to divert his attention.
The Daisy Chain|Charlotte Yonge

British Dictionary definitions for discomfort

discomfort

/ (dɪsˈkʌmfət) /

noun

an inconvenience, distress, or mild pain

something that disturbs or deprives of ease

verb

(tr) to make uncomfortable or uneasy

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

discomfort

Origin of discomfort

OTHER WORDS FROM discomfort

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH discomfort

Words nearby discomfort

Words related to discomfort

How to use discomfort in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for discomfort