Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

discountenance

/dɪsˈkaʊntənəns/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: dis-coun-te-nance
IPA: /dɪsˈkaʊntənəns/

19

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

4

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To have an unfavorable opinion of; to deprecate or disapprove of.

Transitive verb

verb

To abash, embarrass or disconcert.

Transitive verb

verb

To refuse countenance or support to; to discourage.

Transitive verb

noun

Cold treatment; disapprobation.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"A town meeting was convened to discountenance riot."
"So far from friendship being an institution whose value is recognised and understood, it is at best scantily acknowledged, and is often actually discountenanced and misunderstood."
"Mr Macgregor stiffened at the word 'nigger', which is discountenanced in India."
"'Mrs' was a word somewhat discountenanced by the Party—you were supposed to call everyone 'comrade'—but with some women one used it instinctively."
"How would one look from his Majeſtick brow, / Seated as on the top of Vertues hill, / Diſcount'nance her deſpiſ'd, and put to rout / All her array, her female pride deject, / Or turn to reverent awe? […]"
"The hermit was somewhat discountenanced by this observation."

Etymology

From Middle French descontenancer (compare French décontenancer).

Word Breakdown

Root: *ten-

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /dɪsˈkaʊntənəns/

Usage

Inflected Forms

discountenances (present, singular) discountenancing (participle, present) discountenanced (participle, past) discountenanced (past)

Derived Forms

discountenancer

Questions

How do you pronounce discountenance?: The recorded pronunciation is /dɪsˈkaʊntənəns/.
What does discountenance mean?: To have an unfavorable opinion of; to deprecate or disapprove of.
Where does discountenance come from?: From Middle French descontenancer (compare French décontenancer).

How to pronounce discountenance

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