discomfiture
3
9.6
- noun
- /ˌdɪsˈkʌmfɪtʃər/
- Formal
:
desconcierto
- I could see his discomfiture as he struggled to answer the unexpected question.
Examples
-
Hemingway's earlier narratives—including Farewell—stress American soldiers' discomfiture at receiving undeserved medals for valor.
Academic text (2017) -
Beside me, my older sisters were smirking; they seemed to find my discomfiture amusing.
Fiction book (1998) -
Because of this social discomfiture, students risk falling into the void.
Academic text (2009) -
An intense discomfiture filled the room as if the temperature were rising.
Fiction book (1994) -
Our recognition and discomfiture are complicated by levels of identity and identification.
Academic text (1996) -
Instead, to his own discomfiture, he found himself admiring her.
Fiction book (1997) -
When Field came back into the room, Irish Meg gave a short laugh at our discomfiture and dove back into her story.
Fiction book (1990) -
The older man's discomfiture was ameliorated by a waitress's friendly recognition.
Fiction book (1995) -
Peregrine's discomfiture gradually subsided as they wandered in and out of the apartments in the north wing.
Fiction book (1991) -
Obama's worldwide apology tours radiate a weakness that arouses hope among America's enemies, dismay among America's allies, and discomfiture among many American citizens.
Academic text (2009)
Synonyms
4
7.4
A feeling of worry or unease
1
9.8
A feeling of confusion and embarrassment that makes it hard to think
1
9.7
A feeling of worry that makes you restless and uneasy
A feeling of being embarrassed and confused by something unexpected
A sudden feeling of embarrassment and confusion when something unexpected happens
A feeling of being nervous and not calm
Antonyms
How Unsettled
- Offensive
148
4.2
219
3.1
- Formal
3
9.6
119
3.2
19
4.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Discomfiture comes from an old French word where dis- means 'undo' and the part comfit meant 'to defeat' or 'make undone'. So, feeling discomfiture is like being 'made undone' in a situation — embarrassed, confused, or socially defeated.