disconcert

verb dis·con·cert \ ˌdis-kən-ˈsərt \

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: disconcert in a Sentence

Definition of disconcert

transitive verb

1 : to throw into confusion

disconcerting their plans

2 : to disturb the composure of

were disconcerted by his tone of voice

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disconcerting

adjective

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disconcertingly

play \-tiŋ-lē\ adverb

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disconcertment

play \-mənt\ noun

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Examples of disconcert in a Sentence

News of his criminal past has disconcerted even his admirers.
we were disconcerted by the unexpected changes to the program

Recent Examples of disconcert from the Web

At first surprised and then disconcerted by Teddy’s behavior, Dolores seems ill-prepared for the results of her personality change experiment.

— sandra upson, WIRED, "Westworld Recap, Season 2 Episode 7: Decoding Da Vinci," 4 June 2018
The sight of Kershaw serving up eight home runs during last year’s postseason – including four in one game to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Division Series – had to be disconcerting for anyone wearing Dodger blue.

— jorge l. ortiz, USA TODAY, "Clayton Kershaw's arm injury, trip to DL latest sign of mortality for Dodgers great," 6 May 2018
But such a large pivot, says Mark Mahaney of RBC Capital Markets, an investment bank, is disconcerting.

— The Economist, "Upstart meal-kit companies may need a new recipe for growth," 12 Apr. 2018
The aesthetic combines archaic technology, disconcerting art, small rooms, and eerily unpopulated public spaces.

— samantha nelson, The Verge, "In season 2, FX’s Legion is still using a familiar genre to tell an extraordinary story," 5 Apr. 2018
The sequence was disconcerting: the outcome of the process (a baby) so absurdly disproportionate to the blandness of the effort expended.

— ellen wayland-smith, Longreads, "Death Rattle: The Body’s Betrayals," 21 Mar. 2018
Yet Trump did not appear to be disconcerted by Kim’s move.

— simon denyer, Washington Post, "South Korea bets that talks with North could pay off," 2 Jan. 2018
Still, the ungraceful exit was disconcerting to Woods.

— mike tierney, New York Times, "Tiger Woods, After Stumbling at Riviera, Plans to Come Right Back," 17 Feb. 2018
But the degree to which NBC had been dubious of her illness claims was disconcerting.

— phil rosenthal, chicagotribune.com, "NBC's Olympics script wiped out when Mikaela Shiffrin loses and Nathan Chen stumbles," 16 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disconcert.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of disconcert

obsolete French disconcerter, alteration of Middle French desconcerter, from des- dis- + concerter to concert

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1687

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

disconcert Synonyms

Synonyms

abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle;

Near Antonyms

calm, comfort, console, relieve, soothe;

buoy, cheer, embolden, encourage, hearten;

assure, reassure;

debase, degrade, demean, humble, humiliate, shame;

Synonym Discussion of disconcert

embarrass, discomfit, abash, disconcert, rattle mean to distress by confusing or confounding. embarrass implies some influence that impedes thought, speech, or action.