What does "discountenance" mean?
Discountenance: 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.
Additional senses
- 2.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.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00