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

On July 21, the world was stunned by the announcement that President Joe Biden, under pressure from the democratic party following a disconcerting debate performance, had officially decided not to pursue re-election that November. —Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 18 Dec. 2024

Pitt’s Paul is the charismatic one; Peter, who speaks in a voice barely louder than a whisper, has the disconcerting fragility of a starstruck follower. —Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024

Reverting to a primal version of itself, the Cure retraces the steps leading up to our disconcerting present, wondering what went wrong. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2024

This is disconcerting in a number of ways—women are a majority of the electorate and vote at a higher rate than men—so this could explain any discrepancies between the final poll estimates (coming Sunday and Monday) and the actual vote outcome. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 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