disconcert

verb

dis·​con·​cert ˌdis-kən-ˈsərt 

disconcerted; disconcerting; disconcerts

transitive verb

1

: to throw into confusion

disconcerting their plans

2

: to disturb the composure of

were disconcerted by his tone of voice

disconcerting adjective

disconcertingly

ˌdis-kən-ˈsər-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

disconcertment

ˌdis-kən-ˈsərt-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• abash
• confound
• confuse
• discomfit
• discountenance
• embarrass
• faze
• fluster
• mortify
• nonplus
• rattle

Choose the Right Synonym for disconcert

embarrass, discomfit, abash, disconcert, rattle mean to distress by confusing or confounding.

embarrass implies some influence that impedes thought, speech, or action.

the question embarrassed her so much she couldn't answer

discomfit implies a hampering or frustrating accompanied by confusion.

hecklers discomfited the speaker

abash presupposes some initial self-confidence that receives a sudden check, producing shyness, shame, or a feeling of inferiority.

abashed by her swift and cutting retort

disconcert implies an upsetting of equanimity or assurance producing uncertainty or hesitancy.

disconcerted by finding so many in attendance

rattle implies an agitation that impairs thought and judgment.

rattled by all the television cameras

Examples of disconcert in a Sentence

News of his criminal past has disconcerted even his admirers.

we were disconcerted by the unexpected changes to the program

Recent Examples on the Web

The Dodgers’ track record with young arms is disconcerting, but no other team has the necessary depth to effectively deploy a six-man rotation without compromising its chances of winning. —Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025

That text message turned out to be the first in a series of disconcerting messages friends and family members would apparently receive from Michael Shaver over the course of the next two and a half years. —Paige Harriss, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2025

Trump recently vowed to deport Springfield’s Haitian population en masse, even though the vast majority of the Haitian immigrants there are legally authorized to be in the U.S. The threats don’t need to be severe to be disconcerting. —Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 20 Sep. 2024

As Dipoto said, none of this seemed terribly disconcerting on June 18, when the Mariners were 44-31 and led the second-place Houston Astros by 10 games. —Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 21 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

obsolete French disconcerter, alteration of Middle French desconcerter, from des- dis- + concerter to concert

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

disconcert

verb

dis·​con·​cert ˌdis-kən-ˈsərt 

1

: to disturb the arrangement of : upset

the unexpected event disconcerted their plans

2

: to disturb the self-control of

your frank stare disconcerted me

disconcertingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb