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
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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
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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
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The Game 4 defeat – the no-silver-lining, embarrassing 6-1 loss – left a particularly rancid taste in everyone’s mouth.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Just months into Powell’s chairmanship in 2018, Trump started criticizing him and the central bank for not lowering rates.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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Schumer wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin earlier this month warning that new AI systems could dramatically accelerate cyberattacks against critical infrastructure, while criticizing the agency for its response thus far.—
Lauren Morganbesser,
semafor.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Winners are chosen by a mix of votes from the two, translated into points by a system confusing even to Eurovision fans.—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
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Clients hiring us for AI narrative work are under investor pressure to move fast, and the cost of confusing speed with substance will show up on their balance sheets.—
Kathleen Lucente,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The Pistons’ defense is swarming and flustering the Cavs.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
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But Seymour threw on a press, flustering the Patriots, who began to turn the ball over.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This nerve-rattling sequence that leaves three of the Khachaturian men dead is a wrenching depiction of innocent casualties brought down by split-second combat decisions.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
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Just the title, with its three abrupt syllables, becomes the echo of a century’s rattling sabres.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Verb
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There was also some disconcerting history to consider.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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There’s a lot of disconcerting news about AI in journalism lately.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tell him that his approach to the trip is bothering you.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
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Try taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to write out what's bothering you.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
2 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Discountenancing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discountenancing. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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