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.}}

Verb

(discourag)

To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject.

Don't be discouraged by the amount of work left to do: you'll finish it in good time.

* Bible, Col. iii. 21

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged .

To persuade somebody not to do something.

* Abraham Lincoln

Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.