Disconcert

//ˌdɪskənˈsɜːt// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A state of disunion.
Verb
  1. 1
    To upset the composure of; to startle. transitive

    "The embrace disconcerted the daughter-in-law somewhat, as the caresses of old gentlemen unshorn and perfumed with tobacco might well do."

  2. 2
    cause to lose one's composure wordnet
  3. 3
    To bring into confusion. transitive
  4. 4
    cause to feel embarrassment wordnet
  5. 5
    To frustrate, discomfit. transitive

    "The emperor disconcerted the plans of his enemy."

Synonyms

All synonyms
flurryupsetupsetagitateconfuseconfuse

Example

More examples

"I don't mean to disconcert you, but there's a spider in your hair."

Etymology

From Middle French desconcerter, from des- (“dis-”) + concerter (“to bring into agreement, organize”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.