- past tense form of disconcert.
- past participle of disconcert.
disconcerted
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disconcerted
First recorded in 1630–40; disconcert ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
Explanation
A concert is a choreographed harmony of sounds but throw the prefix "dis" in front it and you have the opposite: disconcerted — a word used to describe someone whose composure has been disturbed or unsettled. Disconcerted is a combination of the French prefix des- which indicates reversal and the word concerter meaning "bring together," so something disconcerted is not brought together, but rather torn apart, or thrown into confusion. If you are under a lot of stress or worried about something, you're in a disconcerted or discombobulated state. Take a breath. Relax a moment. Everything will be OK.
Vocabulary lists containing disconcerted
All Quiet on the Western Front
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The Namesake
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Little Fires Everywhere
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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.
Kallman’s unexpected involvement disconcerted Stravinsky, who feared Auden’s sexual inclinations were clouding his literary judgment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Even Emily Blunt was publicly disconcerted, begging Hollywood agencies to “please stop taking away our human connection.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026
Even Danny Danon, a Netanyahu ally and former Israeli ambassador to the U.N. who recently predicted a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia in 2023, seemed disconcerted.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 11, 2023
In her own art, Ms. Polska has delved into that same sense of being both drawn in and disconcerted.
From New York Times ● Oct. 19, 2022
Though they are home they are disconcerted by the space, by the uncompromising silence that surrounds them.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
