discomfit

(dĭs-kŭm'fĭt)
tr.v., -fit·ed, -fit·ing, -fits.

1. To make uneasy or perplexed; disconcert. See synonyms at embarrass.
2. To thwart the plans of; frustrate.
3. Archaic. To defeat in battle; vanquish.

n.
Discomfiture.

[Middle English discomfiten, from Old French desconfit, past participle of desconfire, descumfire, to defeat : des-, dis- + confire, to make (from Latin cōnficere, to prepare; see comfit).]

USAGE NOTE   It is true that discomfit originally meant "to defeat, frustrate" and that its newer use meaning "to embarrass, disconcert" probably arose in part through confusion with discomfort. But the newer sense is now the most common use of the verb in all varieties of writing and should be considered entirely standard.

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Discomfit in current English means 'to thwart the plans of' (its original meaning) or 'to embarrass or disconcert'. In its weaker second meaning, in which it occurs most often in the form discomfited, it overlaps with the unrelated word discomfort, which means 'to make uneasy', and in the normal flow of speech it is not always possible—for speaker or hearer—to distinguish them. Examples: (discomfit)

I should have corrected her, but, discomfited, missed the right moment—Alison Lurie, 1969

Widger was not wholly without Schadenfreude at seeing his informative colleague discomfited for once—Edmund Crispin, 1977

He turned away from her, discomfited at her glance—L. Appignanesi, 1992

(discomfort) His Section's Mediterranean operations, where his cheerful courage discomforted the Germans and Italians, are dealt with in later chapters—J. Ladd, 1979

The show, entitled 'Banality', was eerie, discomforting, and seemed to offend nearly everyone—The Face, 1990.

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verb

To cause (a person) to be self-consciously distressed: abash, chagrin, confound, confuse, discomfort, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, mortify. Idioms: put on the spot, throw for a loop. See pain/pleasure.

v

Definition: defeat, frustrate; confuse
Antonyms: surrender, yield

IN BRIEF: To make uneasy or perplexed; disconcert.

Younger siblings have an easy time discomfiting their brothers and sisters.

Tutor's tip: The collision caused him "discomfort" (physical pain or distress) but did not "discomfit" (to frustrate or thwart, to foil) his opponent.

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  See crossword solutions for the clue Discomfit.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - bringe ud af fatning, tage modet fra en
n. - forurolige, genere, komme på tværs af, overvinde

Nederlands (Dutch)
in verlegenheid brengen, storen, verslaan, verwarren

Français (French)
v. tr. - décevoir, tromper les espoirs de, déconcerter, décontenancer, confondre
n. - déception, tromperie

Deutsch (German)
v. - in Verlegenheit bringen, vereiteln, (ehem.) schlagen (Armee)
n. - Verunsicherung, Verwirrung, (ehem.) Bezwingung

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - περιάγω σε σύγχυση ή ταραχή, σαστίζω

Italiano (Italian)
imbarazzare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - desbaratar, derrotar, embaraçar

Русский (Russian)
побеждать, приводить в замешательство

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - desconcertar, confundir, frustrar
n. - derrota

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - gäcka, bringa ur fattningen

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
破坏, 使为难, 扰乱, 挫败, 大败, 崩溃, 破灭

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 破壞, 使為難, 擾亂, 挫敗
n. - 大敗, 崩潰, 挫敗, 破滅

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 쳐부수다, 어리둥절하게 하다, (계획을) 뒤집다
n. - 패주, 계획의 수정

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - まごつかせる, 狂わせる, 打ち破る, 覆す

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يربك, يحرج‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮סיכל, הביך‬
n. - ‮תבוסה (מיושן)‬

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