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. disarrange
Verb
  • Conventional cleanup techniques often worsen the problem by disturbing soil structures and consuming large amounts of energy.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
  • There is trash and pollutants from the tourists and gravel has been mined from the area to make trekking routes for people, disturbing the places where females may have laid their eggs, researchers said.
    — Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of disturb
Verb
  • The real passengers on the ship were not particularly delighted to have large camera cables and lights and people disrupting their vacations.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Corn can provide carbohydrates, which can be vital to deer during the winter for a burst of energy, Edge said, but an increase in carbs can disrupt the animal's gut chemistry and affect digestion, much like giving children a lot of candy bars.
    — Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • Not the kind of thrift store that’s actually thrifty, but the kind of thrift store that doesn’t have any price tags because the people who can afford to shop there don’t need to bother themselves with price tags.
    — Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Being a double Viking with Swedish and Norman blood on each side of my family, the cold never bothered me.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Definition of bother
Verb
  • One of the higher-ups felt my title Stairway to Heaven would be confused with the 1939 movie of the same name.
    — Cameron Crowe, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Historically, people disguised themselves in mystical and mythical ensembles time of year in order to confuse ghosts and deter them from wreaking havoc; the Celts even carved faces into vegetables to keep the entities away from their food.
    — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • While some critics are skeptical of the claims amid a lack of publicly available evidence – suggesting instead that they are meant to distract from growing public discontent and protests against Noboa’s government – the president insisted to CNN the threat was real.
    — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
  • What Wednesday evening’s triumph also does is quieten the distracting outside noise that such a newsworthy club invariably attracts.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Definition of distract
Verb
  • The technology included corrupt automatic shuffling machines that read cards and predicted which player had the best hand.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • And after Paulsen’s five seasons in Washington, several of those Shanahan-tree coaches indeed shuffled Paulsen from building to building, staff to staff.
    — Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • More broadly, the NBA has expressed concern about prop bets, while other sports leagues have worried about the potential for manipulation.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • After Trump spoke to Lurie, local leaders and advocates worried that Trump would shift his attention from San Francisco, which at one point hosted more billionaires than any other city, to less powerful and more diverse enclaves like Oakland and Alameda.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Definition of worry
Verb
  • Their habitats were ransacked, their migration routes disarranged, truncated, cut off.
    — Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Oct. 2022
Definition of disarrange

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 31 Oct. 2025.

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