1
as in disliking
to hold an unfavorable opinion of
a social philosopher who discountenanced all programs for helping the needy, claiming that society should encourage survival of the fittest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in embarrassing
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
the political party was discountenanced by the actions of a few of its overly zealous members
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discountenancing
Verb
-
Dear James, My late mother’s second husband was pretty mean and made no bones about disliking me in his heyday.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
19 Aug. 2025 -
What remained unclear is how much of a lasting boost China’s economy could get from the ingenuity of one start-up, or how much confidence the business community could derive from the sudden friendliness of a leader who has a reputation for distrusting and disliking the private sector.—
Li Yuan,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The mother, being a mother, finds fault and has embarrassing politics.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
-
On top of that already embarrassing history, Ravens longtime head coach John Harbaugh has made some unfortunate NFL history of his own.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The reaction to Noack's viral Instagram post has been overwhelming, with many people criticizing her and her parenting style.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The dispute also drew in renowned rabblerouser Wack 100, who defended Adam22 while criticizing Styles’ stance.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Since its creation in 2007, only about 2% of applicants had successfully received forgiveness before the pandemic, largely due to confusing eligibility rules and administrative mismanagement.—
Leadership Brainery,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Beneficiaries would have to verify their own identities by using an often-confusing web portal or by traveling to a field office to do it in person.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
No rattling wheels, no jolts, just a smooth, whisper-quiet ride.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
-
At Chapman University, senior Zack Dell said the assassination has been rattling.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There doesn’t seem to be anything untoward or disconcerting about this interest in physical health and well-being.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
The young actor has a disconcerting awareness of the roiling potential of his changing body.—
Doreen St. Félix,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Lead with Gratitude and Grace Calling out someone for bothering you is always tricky.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
-
That appeared to be a distraction at times to Anisimova, who motioned to her team in the stands that something was bothering her during ball tosses for serves.—
Howard Fendrich,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Discountenancing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discountenancing. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share