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
-
China and Russia are often described as caring deeply about sovereignty and disliking regime change for that reason.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026 -
Known for disliking public attention, Souter even forewent a Washington funeral.—
Ella Lee,
The Hill,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then to Sydney Harbour, the very scene of that embarrassing capsize exactly a year earlier, and the Americans won the event outright for a first win since October 2023.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
Lutnick's voluntary closed-door interview comes amid a monthslong procession of powerful people summoned before the committee, many of whom have been subjected to embarrassing revelations in the more than 3 million pages of records known as the Epstein files.—
Graham Kates,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The four leaders have also angered Trump by criticizing how he’s gone about executing the war and his lack of consultation with allies before jumping into a conflict that’s hurt the global economy as oil prices have surged.—
Aamer Madhani,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
-
The four leaders have also angered Trump by criticizing how he's gone about executing the war and his lack of consultation with allies before jumping into a conflict that's hurt the global economy as oil prices have surged.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Cancers can release this protein into the tumor microenvironment, where the molecule attaches to the T cells and change their ability to communicate with other cells, confusing the T cells and restricting their ability to survive and kill cancer.—
Charles J. Dimitroff,
The Conversation,
12 June 2026
-
While the numbers, nutrients, and ingredient lists may seem confusing at first, learning how to read nutrition labels can tell you a lot about what’s actually in the food.—
Amy Brownstein,
Verywell Health,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The Pistons’ defense is swarming and flustering the Cavs.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
-
But Seymour threw on a press, flustering the Patriots, who began to turn the ball over.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Loosed of the wartime imperative to manufacture anti-aircraft guns and submarine torpedoes, factories were free to make bone-rattling dishwashers and mint-colored refrigerators.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
-
With line trucks rattling behind him, Lamont accused Eversource of having grown too comfortable with its ability to raise revenue from its customers in Connecticut, adding that state regulators need new tools to hold all utility companies accountable during requests for rate increases.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
This imbalance is perhaps not expressly disconcerting much of the time.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
-
There was also some disconcerting history to consider.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Brunson turned on the boosters in the second half, attacking the Spurs' defense and showing little sign that his knee was bothering him.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
If certain smells or experiences are bothering you, here are some other tips for managing postpartum odor and sweat.—
Dory Zayas,
Parents,
28 May 2026
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 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
