discomfit
verb (used with object)
to confuse and deject; disconcert.
was discomfiting
-
past progressiveof discomfit.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Two years into Xi Jinping’s presidency, China’s politics were turning away from the liberalising trend of the previous three decades, towards a hard-edged nationalism that was discomfiting China’s immediate neighbours and their western allies.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 3, 2017
It was discomfiting to be in such close proximity with strangers, and knowing that their lamentations were a performance did not decrease the anxiety provoked by outbursts of raw emotion.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 20, 2016
For those with strong ties to both Rubio and Bush, Rubio’s decision was discomfiting.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 30, 2015
The prospect of now spending two hours watching Linda Gray—Sue Ellen Ewing in “Dallas”, as was—making her panto debut as the Fairy Godmother was discomfiting.
From Economist ● Dec. 17, 2014
It was discomfiting to observe how Kimberly lurched, keen to do the right thing and not knowing what the right thing was.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
