discomfort

[dis-kuhm-fert]

noun

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

2. anything that is disturbing to or interferes with comfort.

verb (used with object)

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

discomfort

/ dɪsˈkʌmfət /

noun

1. an inconvenience, distress, or mild pain

2. something that disturbs or deprives of ease

verb

1. (tr) to make uncomfortable or uneasy

Other Word Forms

• discomfortable adjective
• discomfortingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of discomfort¹

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

Example Sentences

When her periods began aged 14, she frequently missed school and sat out of sports because of her discomfort.

Read more on BBC

Cultural pessimism and an obsession with culture in general: This relates to fascism’s false nostalgia and its discomfort with the pluralism and nonconformity of liberal society.

Read more on Salon

Abareshi’s work comments on the fetishization and scrutiny of disabled bodies and pushes viewers to reflect on their discomfort and pleasure.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

On Wednesday morning, Sovereignty was standing upright in his stall munching on hay and showed no obvious discomfort.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Yet what began as amazement turned to discomfort as he reckoned that, before too long, most of the facility’s humans would be unnecessary.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ache 
• annoyance 
• displeasure 
• disquiet 
• embarrassment 
• hardship 
• soreness www.thesaurus.com
• trouble 
• uneasiness www.thesaurus.com
• unpleasantness