2022-02-08
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน - Set – D - discomfort & discomfit & discomfiture
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Dictionary.com:
ออกเสียง discomfort = “dis-KUHM-fert
ออกเสียง discomfit = “dis-KUHM-fit”
ออกเสียง discomfiture = “dis-KUHM-fi-cher”
Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions:
discomfort & discomfit & discomfiture
The first of these words is widely used
to refer to lack of comfort, uneasiness, and even mild pain:
“His wet clothing caused him considerable discomfort.”
“Her distress over missing the train made her feel some discomfort.
Discomfiture, a much stronger term,
means “rout,”
“complete overthrow,”
“utter defeat”:
“The downfall of the government caused discomfiture throughout the nation.”
When you suffer discomfiture, you also experiencediscomfort,
but discomfort alone rarely results in discomfiture.
Discomfit, a verb only, means
“to defeat,”
“to thwart,”
“to confuse,”
“to disconcert”:
“This direct question will discomfit the speaker.”
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Choose the Right Synonym for discomfit
Verb
Embarrass, Discomfit, Abash, Disconcert, Rattle
mean to distress by confusing or confounding.
Embarrass implies some influence that impedes thought, speech, or action.
the question embarrassed her so much she couldn't answer
Discomfit implies a hampering or frustrating accompanied by confusion.
hecklers discomfited the speaker
Abash presupposes some initial self-confidence that receives a sudden check, producing shyness, shame, or a feeling of inferiority.
abashed by her swift and cutting retort
Disconcert implies an upsetting of equanimity or assurance producing uncertainty or hesitancy.
disconcerted by finding so many in attendance
Rattle implies an agitation that impairs thought and judgment.
rattled by all the television cameras
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Did you know?
Disconcerted by discomfit and discomfort?
While the two look similar and share some semantic territory,
they're etymologically unrelated.
Unlike discomfort,
discomfit has no connection to comfort,
which comes ultimately from Latin com- plus fortis,
meaning "strong."
Instead, discomfit was borrowed from Anglo-French in the 13th century with the meaning "to defeat in battle."
Within a couple centuries, discomfit had expanded
beyond the battlefield to mean "to frustrate the plans of; to thwart,"
a meaning that eventually softened into the "to disconcert or confuse"
use we find most often today
—one quite close to the uneasiness and annoyance
communicated by discomfort.
For a time, usage commentators were keen to keep a greater distance between discomfit and discomfort;
they recommended that
discomfit be limited to "to completely defeat; to rout,"
but they've largely given up now,
and the "disconcert or confuse" meaning is fully established.
There is one major difference
between discomfit and discomfort, though:
discomfit is usedalmost exclusively as a verb,
while discomfort is much more commonly used as a noun than a verb.
