Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Discountenance
Dis-coun′te-nance
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Discountenanced
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Discountenancing
.] [Pref.
dis-
+ countenance
: cf. OF. descontenancer
, F. décontenancer
.] 1.
To ruffle or discompose the countenance of; to put of countenance; to put to shame; to abash.
How would one look from his majestic brow . . .
Discountenance
her despised! Milton.
The hermit was somewhat
discountenanced
by this observation. Sir W. Scott.
2.
To refuse to countenance, or give the support of one’s approval to; to give one's influence against; to restrain by cold treatment; to discourage.
A town meeting was convened to
discountenance
riot. Bancroft.
Dis-coun′te-nance
,Noun.
Unfavorable aspect; unfriendly regard; cold treatment; disapprobation; whatever tends to check or discourage.
He thought a little
discountenance
on those persons would suppress that spirit. Clarendon.
Webster 1828 Edition
Discountenance
DISCOUNTENANCE
,Verb.
T.
1.
To abash; to ruffle or discompose the countenance; to put to shame; to put out of countenance. [Not used.]How would one look from his majestic brow--Discountenance her despised.
2.
To discourage; to check; to restrain by frowns, censure, arguments, opposition, or cold treatment. The good citizen will discountenance vice by every lawful means.DISCOUNTENANCE
,Noun.
He thought a little discountenance on those persons would suppress that spirit.
Definition 2024
discountenance
discountenance
English
Verb
discountenance (third-person singular simple present discountenances, present participle discountenancing, simple past and past participle discountenanced)
- To have an unfavorable opinion of; to deprecate or disapprove of.
- 1855, George Bancroft, History of the United States, from the Discovery of the American Continent, London: Routledge, Volume V, Chapter XXX, p. 74,
- A town meeting was convened to discountenance riot.
- 1908, Edward Carpenter, The Intermediate Sex, London: George Allen & Unwin, 1921, Chapter IV, p. 90,
- 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.
- 1949, George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Part One, Chapter 2,
- 'Mrs' was a word somewhat discountenanced by the Party—you were supposed to call everyone 'comrade'—but with some women one used it instinctively.
- 1855, George Bancroft, History of the United States, from the Discovery of the American Continent, London: Routledge, Volume V, Chapter XXX, p. 74,
- To abash, embarrass or disconcert.
- 1671, John Milton, Paradise Regained, Book II, lines 216-220,
- How would one look from his majestic brow, / Seated as on the top of Virtue's hill, / Discountenance her despised, and put to rout / All her array, her female pride deject, / Or turn to reverent awe!
- 1820, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, Chapter XVI,
- The hermit was somewhat discountenanced by this observation.
- 1671, John Milton, Paradise Regained, Book II, lines 216-220,