discomfit
Discomfit (verb) means to make someone feel embarrassed, confused or uneasy. Example: “The unexpected question seemed to discomfit the minister.”
How to use discomfit
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo fluster or embarrass someone.
It is more common in written English than in casual conversation.
Remember it describes a feeling of awkward embarrassment, not physical discomfort.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The unexpected question seemed to _____ the minister.
Etymology
Discomfit comes from Middle English discomfiten, taken from Old French desconfit, the past participle of desconfire, meaning to undo or destroy. That French word is built from Latin roots meaning completely and to make or finish, ultimately from Latin conficio. Its present-day sense of embarrassing someone arose later, after people confused it with the unrelated word discomfort.
