disconcert

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌdɪskənˈsɜːt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌdɪskənˈsɝt/

  • Audio (Southern England):

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Verb

disconcert (third-person singular simple present disconcerts, present participle disconcerting, simple past and past participle disconcerted)

1. (transitive) To upset the composure of; to startle.
   • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 4, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:

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

2. (transitive) To bring into confusion
3. (transitive) To frustrate, discomfit.

   The emperor disconcerted the plans of his enemy.

Synonyms

• agitate
• upset
• See also Thesaurus:confuse

Derived terms

• disconcerting
• disconcertingly

Translations

upset the composure

• Bulgarian: разстройвам (bg) (razstrojvam)
• Dutch: verstoren (nl), verwarren (nl), in de war brengen
• Welsh: taflu rhywun oddi ar ei echel (literally “to throw someone off their axle”)

bring into confusion

• Bulgarian: обърквам (bg) (obǎrkvam)
• Dutch: verstoren (nl), verwarren (nl), in de war brengen
• German: verwirren (de)
• Maori: whakapōhēhē, kōnatunatu
• Scottish Gaelic: cuir tro-chèile
• Spanish: desconcertar (es)
• Welsh: taflu rhywun oddi ar ei echel (literally “to throw someone off their axle”)

frustrate

• Bulgarian: смущавам (bg) (smuštavam)
• Dutch: doorkruisen (nl), verstoren (nl), verijdelen (nl)
• German: stören (de), vereiteln (de)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} déconcerter (fr), ^{(please verify)} confondre (fr), ^{(please verify)} perturber (fr), ^{(please verify)} frustrer (fr)
• German: ^{(please verify)} beunruhigen (de), ^{(please verify)} verwirren (de)

Noun

disconcert

1. A state of disunion.