Discountenancing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To indicate disapproval or discourage the acceptance of a certain idea or behavior
2. Expressing a lack of approval or discouraging the favoring of a particular thought or action
3. Conveying disfavor or deterring endorsement of a belief or conduct

Etymology: "Discountenance" began as a plain loss of composure. It was borrowed from Middle French "descontenancer", which meant to put someone out of countenance, to make them lose their composure or confidence, and that is the sense the verb carried first. The "countenance" in it is the face, the expression a person wears, so to discountenance someone was to disturb the look on their face. The leap from that embarrassment to disapproval came gradually. Once you have made someone flustered, you have also signalled that their conduct is unwelcome, and English speakers came to use the word for showing disapproval outright and for refusing to lend support to an idea or practice. "Discountenancing" is the present participle form, and its meaning follows that later sense: actively signalling disfavour so that something is not accepted.

Synonyms: dissuading, discouraging, disapproving, deterring, preventing

Antonyms: encouraging, promoting, approving, endorsing, supporting