as in disapproval
refusal to accept as right or desirable
made known his long-standing discountenance of any form of religious belief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to dislike
to hold an unfavorable opinion of
a social philosopher who discountenanced all programs for helping the needy, claiming that society should encourage survival of the fittest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
the political party was discountenanced by the actions of a few of its overly zealous members
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discountenance
Noun
-
Among Independent voters the president is at 68 percent disapproval in the Gallup poll.—
Juan Williams, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
-
Kelly ended his round of questions for Hegseth with a stamp of disapproval.—
Verb
-
Conversely, if moderates – disliked by the base but much more electable nationally – win, then Democrats stand to avoid a 1994-style blowout, and may even be set up for a 1996-style victory.—
-
The treatment offers more flexibility and an alternative for those who dislike needles used in injectable medication.—
Verb
-
The report reiterated concerns about seven situations, two of which have been on the list since 2007, including the bureaucracy’s chronic inability to successfully employ information technology — embarrassing for a state that is the global center for digital tools.—
-
The report reiterated concerns about seven situations, two of which have been on the list since 2007, including the bureaucracy’s chronic inability to successfully employ information technology — embarrassing for a state that is the global center for digital tools.—
Verb
-
House Democrats swiftly criticized the Senate.—
-
Bibelheimer also had good reason to criticize the film, as Ferrell’s portrayal of her was wildly at odds with the truth.—
Verb
-
The 40-year-old cooks up ways to make quarterbacks miserable in his sleep, devising schemes that are meant to lure as much as they are intended to confuse.—
-
Canales-Pelaez said that local departments may be confusing administrative warrants with criminal ones, or overcomplying to avoid backlash from the state Legislature.—
Verb
-
Bonta rejected the allegations as unsubstantiated and said the states were targeted solely because of their political leadership.—
-
For at least the third time in just over a year, Humphrey has rejected most serious charges against rule-breaking cops.—
Verb
-
The run-in may have been awkward on-screen, but Franceschini wasn't flustered.—
-
Pinnick in a series of plays can fluster his coaches for extending a play when maybe throwing the ball away might be wiser.—
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Discountenance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discountenance. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share