discompose

verb

ˌdis-kəm-ˈpōz How to pronounce discompose (audio)
Definition of discomposenext
1
as in to disturb
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy discomposed by the tone of the message left on his answering machine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of the wind ruffled her hair and discomposed her carefully arranged papers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb discompose contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of discompose are agitate, disquiet, disturb, fluster, perturb, and upset. While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

When would agitate be a good substitute for discompose?

Although the words agitate and discompose have much in common, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

When can disquiet be used instead of discompose?

The synonyms disquiet and discompose are sometimes interchangeable, but disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

Where would disturb be a reasonable alternative to discompose?

The words disturb and discompose are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

When could fluster be used to replace discompose?

In some situations, the words fluster and discompose are roughly equivalent. However, fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

In what contexts can perturb take the place of discompose?

While in some cases nearly identical to discompose, perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

When is upset a more appropriate choice than discompose?

The words upset and discompose can be used in similar contexts, but upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of discompose In a third discomposing show of baseball in as many days, the Brewers fell, 8-6, to the lowly A's, who looked like anything but in an emphatic weekend-long dismantling of a team that entered in first place. —Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discompose
  1. disturb
  2. disrupt
  3. bother
  4. confuse
  5. distract
  6. shuffle
  7. worry
  8. alarm
Verb
  • Solar flares can disturb Earth's ionosphere, for instance, briefly disrupting high-frequency radio signals and leading to brief radio blackouts on the daylit side of the planet during the flare event.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 22 May 2025
  • However, some 3,000 years ago—around the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age—newcomers to the area disturbed the burial site by removing parts of the mound and displacing stones.
    — Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 May 2025
Definition of disturb
Verb
  • What Could Move The Market? Several factors could disrupt the current market calm: European Tariff Deadline: President Trump has postponed the implementation of a 50% tariff on European Union goods to July 9, 2025.
    — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • An extended pause in scheduling student visas could lead to delays that may disrupt college, boarding-school or exchange students’ plans to enroll in summer and fall terms.
    — Annie Ma, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • After years of ‘losing culture,’ can the new-look Chicago Bears turn things around on defense? Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard didn’t bother mincing words.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
  • The walk, only his second this month, bothered him.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 26 May 2025
Definition of bother
Verb
  • Also, this word et cetera at the end of the sentence confused me.
    — EW.com, EW.com, 26 May 2025
  • Weir was confused by the man’s unusual conviction, though.
    — Louise Erdrich, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • Growth must reinforce strategy, not distract from it.
    — Ayo Adepoju, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • But when the pair get to a higher point in order to try to see where the Wolves are/where Tommy might be, Ellie is distracted by a nearby aquarium, which has a giant ferris wheel nearby.
    — Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 25 May 2025
Definition of distract
Verb
  • Bemused tourists attempt to shuffle through the acrid red and blue flare smoke.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 18 May 2025
  • Deep in the bowels of State Farm Stadium, Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson and a group of his players shuffled into a concrete-walled space that had been converted into a makeshift press conference room.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 16 May 2025
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • In 1956, a survey of over 2,000 professors showed that 61% had been contacted by the FBI; 40% worried that students might misrepresent their politics; and about a quarter would not express their views for fear of the government.
    — Time, Time, 20 May 2025
  • One thing Salmon didn’t have to worry about before Monday’s game was having support.
    — Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025
Definition of worry
Verb
  • Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, in an email, said that he was alarmed by the decision to cut the funding, adding that many Missourians in need of behavioral health care come to Kansas City.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2025
  • The warning follows a concerning rise in measles cases nationally, with a significant outbreak in Texas that has alarmed public health officials.
    — Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Definition of alarm

Browse Nearby Words

discommoding
discompose
discomposed
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Cite this Entry

“Discompose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discompose. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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