discomfit

Advancedzipf 1.22

Pronunciation

/dɪsˈkʌmfɪt/(dis-KUM-fit)

Part of speech

verbformal

Chinese

使困窘；使挫败

Definition

To make someone feel uneasy or embarrassed; to thwart or defeat.

Word family

  • discomfiture/dɪsˈkʌmfɪtʃə/(n)困窘/挫败

Collocations

  • clearly discomfited
  • visibly discomfited
  • discomfited by the question
  • discomfiture of

Examples

  1. 1.The direct question about his finances clearly discomfited the politician. (embarrassed, flustered)
  2. 2.The unexpected counterattack discomfited the invading army. (defeated, thwarted)

Synonyms

  • embarrass/ɪmˈbærəs/— cause awkwardness
  • fluster/ˈflʌstə/— make agitated
  • disconcert/ˌdɪskənˈsɜːt/— disturb composure

Etymology

from Old French "desconfit" — des- (un-) + confire (to prepare) — originally "to undo, to defeat" — unprepared and therefore defeated