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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb discompose contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of discompose are agitate, disquiet, disturb, fluster, perturb, and upset. While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

When would agitate be a good substitute for discompose?

Although the words agitate and discompose have much in common, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

When can disquiet be used instead of discompose?

The synonyms disquiet and discompose are sometimes interchangeable, but disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

Where would disturb be a reasonable alternative to discompose?

The words disturb and discompose are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

When could fluster be used to replace discompose?

In some situations, the words fluster and discompose are roughly equivalent. However, fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

In what contexts can perturb take the place of discompose?

While in some cases nearly identical to discompose, perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

When is upset a more appropriate choice than discompose?

The words upset and discompose can be used in similar contexts, but upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of discompose In a third discomposing show of baseball in as many days, the Brewers fell, 8-6, to the lowly A's, who looked like anything but in an emphatic weekend-long dismantling of a team that entered in first place. Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discompose
Verb
  • When a school principal (Ashley Padilla) and a teacher (Mikey Day) reprimand a student (Hernandez) for disturbing drawings of him attacking the principal, the student’s father (Bad Bunny) comes in, and Padilla’s principal, immediately smitten, changes course to hitting on the student’s father.
    Rima Parikh, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The deaths have disturbed the Cranford community.
    Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Eastern members of the alliance, including Estonia, Poland, and Romania, recently reported incursions into their airspace, while drones that disrupted Danish airports are suspected of being linked to Russia.
    semafor.com, semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Sensory deprivation training has become increasingly common over the past decade, particularly when Steph Curry popularized practicing with strobe goggles to disrupt his vision.
    Jared Weiss, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Reviewing pages have been thinned by the forces of history and technology; few Pynchon skeptics anymore bother to take the time to read the novels and register their objections.
    Book Marks October 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
  • But Bob Say, owner of Los Angeles’ Freakbeat Records, for one, isn’t all that bothered.
    Roy Trakin, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Crotz was initially confused as to why Kjartan had closed himself inside.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • CarShield has received positive comments for its breadth of coverage and quick response times, although some policyholders have complained about claim denials, fine-print surprises and confusing sales practices.
    Brian Sloan, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • To many climate advocates, focusing too much on measures to prepare society for the physical costs of climate change risked distracting from efforts to cut emissions.
    Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Critics, though, have argued that these efforts are serving to distract from the country’s record of repressing free speech and dissent, as well as human rights violations, which have been widely reported.
    Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Cooper, an alum of Ralph Lauren and the former creative director of Ash NYC, plans to rotate the displays weekly, mixing in vintage furniture from his studio’s collection and shuffling the assortment so regulars will always find something new.
    Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Typically, at this time, nearly 20 minutes after a game, players are shuffling in and out.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As if the local deer population had enough to worry about as the bow hunting season begins, now a disease is spreading between them.
    Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Oct. 2025
  • From junior staffers worried about automation to managers fearing irrelevance, no one feels entirely safe.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Their habitats were ransacked, their migration routes disarranged, truncated, cut off.
    Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Oct. 2022

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Cite this Entry

“Discompose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discompose. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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