- past participle of disconcert.
- past tense form 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.
Even Emily Blunt was publicly disconcerted, begging Hollywood agencies to “please stop taking away our human connection.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026
“And that’s good. I think a judge should be disconcerted by what he does.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026
This abrupt policy shift has left employees feeling disconcerted and undervalued, with some already contemplating job changes and others anxious about the prospect of increased workloads due to potential colleague resignations.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 7, 2023
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
Clara had to ask his name every time she saw him and was always disconcerted to find him in his silk robe in the bathroom of her house.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
