discountenance 1 of 2

noun

Definition of discountenancenext
as in disapproval
refusal to accept as right or desirable made known his long-standing discountenance of any form of religious belief

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

discountenance

2 of 2

verb

di-ˈskau̇n-tə-nən(t)s How to pronounce discountenance (audio)
1
as in to dislike
to hold an unfavorable opinion of a social philosopher who discountenanced all programs for helping the needy, claiming that society should encourage survival of the fittest

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress the political party was discountenanced by the actions of a few of its overly zealous members

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for discountenance
  1. disapproval
  2. dislike
  3. embarrass
  4. criticize
  5. confuse
  6. reject
  7. fluster
Noun
  • The committee earlier this month recommended censure, which registers the House’s deep disapproval of a lawmaker’s conduct that doesn’t meet the threshold for expulsion.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Sheinbaum, writing on X early Saturday, expressed her disapproval of Rocha Moya’s decision to return as governor of northwestern state.
    — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of disapproval
Verb
  • Element had a deal to merge with Solstice Advanced Materials, but both shareholder bases disliked the idea, so the companies terminated it last week.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Previous-generation Outbacks were functional but had an unfortunate tendency to look as though their infotainment system had been installed by somebody who strongly disliked both computers and human beings.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of dislike
Verb
  • Or from locking up Mick Cronin through 2030, even though UCLA’s prickly basketball coach embarrasses the university annually and hasn’t reached a Sweet 16 since 2023.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The comprehensive regimen is meant to uncover any prior criminal conduct in an applicant’s past as well as embarrassing personal information that could make an employee vulnerable to blackmail.
    — Eric Tucker, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of embarrass
Verb
  • The move came days after Stephens publicly criticized EMCC and Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference leadership over changes to the league’s football schedule and playoff format.
    — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also defended the decision to increase bond purchases earlier last month, after investor Stanley Druckenmiller criticized the move.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of criticize
Verb
  • Then began the desperate, confusing search for their colleagues.
    — Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Summary Founders frequently misjudge their business's worth, often confusing revenue with actual value.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • The Athletic reported on Monday that all parties have now been in direct communication to confirm the deal is off after City’s bid of an initial £75m and £5m in add-ons was rejected.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Palal also rejected the defense’s contention that Davis fabricated his accounts to make money.
    — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of reject
Verb
  • If this were still the primary, Raman would have flustered her way to a non-answer.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Saliba is rarely flustered, so to see his game affected as much as it was made an impression.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of fluster
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

discounted
discountenance
discountenanced
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Cite this Entry

“Discountenance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discountenance. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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