Definition

Not approved or supported; disapproved.

Example

The proposal was discountenanced by the committee due to its lack of feasibility.

Conversation

Did you see that new restaurant in town?

Yeah, I heard it got discountenanced by a lot of critics.

That's surprising, especially with all the hype before it opened.

I know! It seems like people really didn't like it.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Definition

To show disapproval or to discourage something.

Example

The teacher discountenanced the idea of cheating on the exam.

Tense Forms

Conversation

Did you hear about the event last weekend?

Yeah, I heard they discountenanced a lot of the traditional activities.

That's surprising! I thought those were always a big part of it.

Root Explanation

Discountenanced → It is formed from "dis-" (meaning apart or away) and "countenance" (from Old French *contenance*, meaning appearance or demeanor). The word means to take away someone's support or approval, thus causing them to lose their favorable appearance or demeanor.

Memory Tip

Think of 'taking away' ('dis-') someone's 'support' or 'appearance' ('countenance') — that's why discountenanced means to withdraw approval.

Visually Confused Words