Discomfit vs Chagrin - What's the difference?

discomfit | chagrin |

As verbs the difference between discomfit and chagrin

is that discomfit is (archaic) to defeat completely; to rout while chagrin is to bother or vex; to mortify.

As an adjective discomfit

is (obsolete) discomfited; overthrown.

As a noun chagrin is

distress of mind caused by a failure of aims or plans, want of appreciation, mistakes etc; vexation or mortification.

discomfit

English

Verb

(en verb)

(archaic) To defeat completely; to rout.

* 1611 , Bible: King James Version , (w) 17:13,

And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

* (Edmund Spenser)

And his proud foes discomfit in victorious field.

To defeat the plans or hopes of; to frustrate.

* 1886 , (Andrew Lang) The Mark Of Cain , chapter 10,

In these disguises, Maitland argued, he would certainly avoid recognition, and so discomfit any mischief planned by the enemies of Margaret.

(proscribed) To embarrass greatly; to confuse; to perplex; to disconcert.

* 1853 , , Villette , chapter 20,

She is a pretty, silly girl: but are you apprehensive that her titter will discomfit the old lady?

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=Then we relapsed into a discomfited silence, and wished we were anywhere else. But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud, and with such a hearty enjoyment that instead of getting angry and more mortified we began to laugh ourselves, and instantly felt better.}}

Usage notes

While widely used to mean “to embarrass, to disconcert”, prescriptive usage considers this a mistake (confusion with discomfort), and restrict discomfit to meaning “to defeat”.“ Discomfit zone]”, January 4, 2008, [http://www.grammarphobia.com/ Grammarphobia

Synonyms

* overthrow, vanquish * (frustrate) foil, thwart * abash, disconcert * See also

Adjective

(en adjective)

(obsolete) discomfited; overthrown

(Webster 1913)

References

chagrin

English

Noun

Distress of mind caused by a failure of aims or plans, want of appreciation, mistakes etc; vexation or mortification.

* 1876 , , Rose In Bloom , ch. 8:

[H]e alone knew how deep was the deluded man's chagrin at the failure of the little plot which he fancied was prospering finely.

* {{quote-book, year=1905, author=

, title= , chapter=1 citation , passage=“Mrs. Yule's chagrin and horror at what she called her son's base ingratitude knew no bounds ; at first it was even thought that she would never get over it. […]”}}

A type of leather or skin with a rough surface.

Usage notes

* Often used in the form to one’s chagrin .

Synonyms

* (distress of mind) disquiet, fretfulness, mortification, peevishness, vexation * (type of leather) shagreen

Descendants

* shagreen

Verb

(en verb)

To bother or vex; to mortify.

She was chagrined to note that the paint had dried into a blotchy mess.

To be vexed or annoyed.

(Fielding)

Usage notes

* The verb form is rarely found in other than passive voice.

References

Anagrams

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