different between abash vs daunt

English

Alternative forms

• abasse

Etymology

First attested in 1303. From Middle English abaisen, abaishen, abashen (“to gape with surprise”) etc., from Anglo-Norman abaïss, from Middle French abair, abaisser (“to astonish, alter”), from Old French esbaïr, (French ébahir), from es- (“utterly”) + baïr (“to astonish”), from Medieval Latin *exbad?, from ex- (“out of”) + bado (“I gape, yawn”), an onomatopoeic word imitating a yawn, see also French badaud (“rubbernecker”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??bæ?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??bæ?/

• Rhymes: -æ?

Verb

abash (third-person singular simple present abashes, present participle abashing, simple past and past participle abashed)

1. (transitive) To make ashamed; to embarrass; to destroy the self-possession of, as by exciting suddenly a consciousness of guilt, mistake, or inferiority; to disconcert; to discomfit. [First attested from around (1150 to 1350).]

   Synonyms: bewilder, confuse, confound, daunt, discompose, disconcert, discountenance, dishearten, embarrass, faze, fluster, humble, humiliate, mortify, rattle, shake, shame, snub

   Antonyms: abet, animate, buoy, cheer, countenance, embolden, encourage, incite, inspirit, rally, reassure, uphold

   • 1849, Thomas Macaulay, History of England, Chapter 14

     He was a man whom no check could abash
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To lose self-possession; to become ashamed. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 16^th century.]

Usage notes

• Of abash, confuse, confound: Abash is a stronger word than confuse, but not so strong as confound.
  • We are abashed when struck either with sudden shame or with a humbling sense of inferiority; as, Peter was abashed by the look of his Master. So a modest youth is abashed in the presence of those who are greatly his superiors.
  • We are confused when, from some unexpected or startling occurrence, we lose clearness of thought and self-possession. Thus, a witness is often confused by a severe cross-examination; a timid person is apt to be confused in entering a room full of strangers.
  • We are confounded when our minds are overwhelmed, as it were, by something wholly unexpected, amazing, dreadful, etc., so that we have nothing to say. Thus, a criminal is usually confounded at the discovery of his guilt.

  • Satan stood Awhile as mute, confounded what to say. – John Milton

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:abash

Derived terms

Translations

References

Anagrams

• Basha, Sabah, basha, sabha

English

Etymology

From Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, from Latin domit? (“tame”, verb), frequentative of Latin dom? (“tame, conquer”, verb), from Proto-Indo-European *demh?- (“to domesticate, tame”). Doublet of dompt.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??nt/
• (some accents) IPA^(key): /d??nt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /d?nt/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /d?nt/
• Rhymes: -??nt, -??nt

Verb

daunt (third-person singular simple present daunts, present participle daunting, simple past and past participle daunted)

1. (transitive) To discourage, intimidate.
2. (transitive) To overwhelm.

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• Dutan

Middle English

Verb

daunt

1. Alternative form of daunten