discomfort

[dis-kuhm-fert]

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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.

Nearby words

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.

Related formsdis·com·fort·a·ble

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

Can be confuseddiscomfit discomfort

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

Examples from the Web for discomfort

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
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

This agent spoke on condition of anonymity due to discomfort with being publicly associated with comments about Lewinsky.
Monica Lewinsky Is Doomed: Trying To Craft a Career Outside Her Infamy May Be Impossible|Lloyd Grove|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But why enumerate these smaller features of discomfort and omit the more glaring ones?
Charles O'Malley, The Irish Dragoon, Volume 1 (of 2)|Charles Lever
Uncle Leonard came in once a day, and spent a few minutes, much to his discomfort and my disadvantage.
Richard Vandermarck|Miriam Coles Harris
Discomfort, on the other hand, is that feeling-tone which is directly opposed to pleasure.
The Analysis of Mind|Bertrand Russell
The exciting causes of the feeling of discomfort, for example, are always absurdly magnified.
Illusions|James Sully
Honora, in spite of her discomfort, had an insane desire to giggle.
A Modern Chronicle, Complete|Winston Churchill

British Dictionary definitions for discomfort

discomfort

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

Word Origin and History for discomfort

discomfort

mid-14c., from Old French desconfort (12c.), from desconforter (v.), from des- (see dis-) + conforter (see comfort (v.)).

discomfort

c.1300, "to deprive of courage," from Old French desconforter; see discomfort (n.). Related: Discomforted; discomforting.

discomfort

noun

verb (used with object)

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Origin of discomfort

Examples from the Web for discomfort

discomfort

noun

verb

discomfort

discomfort