DISCOUNTENANCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does discountenance mean? 

• DISCOUNTENANCE (verb)
  The verb DISCOUNTENANCE has 2 senses:

1. look with disfavor on

2. show disapproval by discouraging

  Familiarity information: DISCOUNTENANCE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISCOUNTENANCE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they discountenance    ... he / she / it discountenances   
Past simple: discountenanced   
Past participle: discountenanced   
-ing form: discountenancing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Look with disfavor on

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

The republic soon discountenanced its few friends

Hypernyms (to "discountenance" is one way to...):

shame (cause to be ashamed)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Show disapproval by discouraging

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

any measure tending to fuse invalids into a class with special privileges should be discountenanced

Hypernyms (to "discountenance" is one way to...):

disapprove (consider bad or wrong)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something