discomfiting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of discomfitingnext
as in embarrassing
causing embarrassment the discomfiting scrutiny of an audience of music critics

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

discomfiting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of discomfit
1
as in frustrating
to prevent from achieving a goal constant interruptions discomfited her in her attempt to finish the speech, and she finally gave up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in confusing
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress he was discomfited by the awkward situation of having his ex-girlfriend meet his current one

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for discomfiting
  1. embarrassing
  2. uncomfortable
  3. disconcerting
  4. awkward
  5. unpleasant
  6. disturbing
  7. difficult
Adjective
  • In Tagovailoa’s absence, the Dolphins looked terrible, dropping three of four games, including an embarrassing 31-12 thumping courtesy of the lowly Tennessee Titans.
    C. Isaiah Smalls II, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025
  • What To Know The latest advances in Kursk come nearly six months after Kyiv first sent troops into the region, seizing a swath of territory in an embarrassing reverse for Putin.
    Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
Definition of embarrassing
Adjective
  • There are moments in which a young person can feel uncomfortable.
    Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
  • In a poll — admittedly unscientific — conducted on X during the three hours leading towards kick-off, the abnormal, uncomfortable and unfamiliar position Newcastle fans found themselves in was evident.
    Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
Definition of uncomfortable
Verb
  • Russia was becoming more closed, and this was disconcerting for a generation that had grown up in a modernized and relatively open society.
    Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2024
  • Calculations on how many homeowners are at risk and how many are covered vary, but all are disconcerting.
    Kate Gibson, CBS News, 4 Oct. 2024
Definition of disconcerting
Adjective
  • There will be no awkward run-in with a security guard unwilling to let the new England manager in due to a lack of accreditation.
    Dan Sheldon, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
  • The timing was awkward — as Bashar and his gang were murdering unarmed protesters en masse.
    Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 31 Dec. 2024
Definition of awkward
Adjective
  • Still, with a budget deficit looming next year and a mayor whose preferred mode of dealing with unpleasant fiscal realities is to hike taxes, revenue grabs like congestion pricing are always on the table.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Another surprise was how unpleasant emotions were often motivating for leaders.
    Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • That righteous, above-the-law mentality takes hold of him during a crucial moment late in the disturbing case.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Dec. 2024
  • Warning: Some of the following images are graphic in nature and might be disturbing to some viewers.
    TIME Photo Department, TIME, 30 Dec. 2024
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • Treacherous road conditions continue to make travel difficult to impossible in much of the Kansas City metro Monday morning, according to authorities and law enforcement.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 Jan. 2025
  • However, the complexity of the systems required to control so many qubits makes scalability difficult.
    Peter Cohan, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Definition of difficult
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near discomfiting

discomfited

discomfiting

discomfits

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Discomfiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discomfiting. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on discomfiting

Nglish: Translation of discomfiting for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of discomfiting for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Gray' vs. 'Grey': What is the difference?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
yorkshire terrier dressed up as a doctor
A Visit with the Word Doctor: Medical Terms Quiz Give your vocabulary a checkup