different between awfulness vs discomfort

English

Etymology

From Middle English aghfulnesse, equivalent to awful +? -ness.

Noun

awfulness (usually uncountable, plural awfulnesses)

1. The state or quality of being awful.
   • 1942, Emily Carr, The Book of Small, "Characters," [1]

     Out came old Teenie, buzzing mad as a whole nest of wasps. Muttered awfulnesses came from her great padded bonnet.

   • 1961, Peter De Vries, The Blood of the Lamb, Penguin, 1982, Chapter 3, p. 36,

     "Why is the awfulness of families such a popular reason for starting another?"

2. The quality of striking with awe, or with reverence

   Synonyms: dreadfulness, solemnity

   • 1823, Thomas de Quincey, "On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth" in On Murder, edited by Robert Morrison, Oxford World's Classics, 2006, p. 3,

     […] the knocking at the gate, which succeeds to the murder of Duncan, produced to my feelings an effect for which I could never account: the effect was—that it reflected back upon the murder a peculiar awfulness and a depth of solemnity […]

   the awfulness of this sacred place

3. The state of being struck with awe; a spirit of solemnity; profound reverence.

English

Etymology

From Middle English discomforten, from Anglo-Norman descomforter.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d?s?k?mf?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /d?s?k?mf?t/

Noun

discomfort (countable and uncountable, plural discomforts)

1. Mental or bodily distress.
2. Something that disturbs one’s comfort; an annoyance.

Translations

Verb

discomfort (third-person singular simple present discomforts, present participle discomforting, simple past and past participle discomforted)

1. To cause annoyance or distress to.
2. (obsolete) To discourage; to deject.

Usage notes

As a verb, the unrelated term discomfit is often used instead, largely interchangeably, though this is proscribed by some as an error, discomfit originally meaning “destroy”, not “distress”.

Derived terms

• discomforter

See also

• discomfit