discomfort
Americannoun
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an absence of comfort or ease; uneasiness, hardship, or mild pain.
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anything that is disturbing to or interferes with comfort.
verb (used with object)
noun
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an inconvenience, distress, or mild pain
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something that disturbs or deprives of ease
verb
Other Word Forms
- discomfortable adjective
- discomfortingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of discomfort
First recorded in 1300–50; (for the verb) Middle English discomforten “to discourage, pain,” from Anglo-French descomforter “to sadden, grieve”; equivalent to dis- 1 + comfort; noun derivative of verb
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“You’re going to have discomfort if you live up to your ambition,” Grede says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
Despite any discomfort parents may feel about their finances, “avoiding conversations altogether can create more confusion and anxiety for them,” Intuit’s Zaasada said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026
Some people may experience bloating, nausea or discomfort as a side effect.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Though the flies cause discomfort, they are not known to transmit diseases in L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
All they had to do was wait—just as they had while trapped on the ship—but now they had even less to do and much more discomfort, as well.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
