discomfit: M-W's Word of the Day

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The Word of the Day for August 14 is:

discomfit \diss-KUM-fit\ verb
1 : to frustrate the plans of : thwart
*2 : to put into a state of perplexity and embarrassment : disconcert

Example sentence:
The governor appeared to be discomfited by the reporter's question, and he struggled for a way to change the subject.

Did you know?
Disconcerted by "discomfit" and "discomfort"? Here's a little usage history that might help. Several usage commentators have, in the past, tried to convince their readers that "discomfit" means "to rout" or "to completely defeat" and not "to discomfort, embarrass, or make uneasy." In its earliest uses "discomfit" did in fact mean "to defeat in battle," but that sense is now rare, and the extended sense, "to thwart," is also uncommon. Most of the recent commentaries agree that the sense "to discomfort or disconcert" has become thoroughly established and is the most prevalent meaning of the word. There is one major difference between "discomfit" and "discomfort," though -- "discomfit" is used almost exclusively as a verb, while "discomfort" is much more commonly used as a noun than a verb.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

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