dis ‧ com ‧ fort /dɪsˈkʌmfət $ -ərt/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ comfort , ↑ discomfort , ↑ comforter ; adverb : ↑ comfortably ≠ ↑ uncomfortably , ↑ comfortingly ; adjective : ↑ comfortable ≠ ↑ uncomfortable , ↑ comforting ; verb : ↑ comfort ]
1 . [uncountable] a feeling of slight pain or of being physically uncomfortable:
If the exercise causes discomfort, stop immediately.
2 . [uncountable] a feeling of embarrassment, shame, or worry:
To her discomfort, he laughed.
3 . [countable] something that makes you feel uncomfortable or gives you a slight pain:
the discomforts of air travel
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THESAURUS
▪ pain noun [uncountable and countable] the feeling when part of your body hurts:
A broken leg can cause a lot of pain.
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He felt a sharp pain in his chest.
▪ ache noun [uncountable and countable] a continuous pain, especially one that is not very bad. Most commonly used in compounds such as headache , toothache , and backache :
I felt an ache in my back after decorating all day.
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Driving gives me a headache.
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I’ve got stomach ache.
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Do you have earache?
▪ twinge noun [countable] a sudden slight pain that comes and then disappears quickly:
When I bent down I felt a twinge in my back.
▪ discomfort noun [uncountable] formal an uncomfortable feeling in your body, or a slight pain:
The procedure takes five minutes and only causes slight discomfort.
▪ agony noun [uncountable] a feeling of great pain, or a situation in which you feel a lot of pain:
the agony of childbirth
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I was in agony by the time I got to the hospital.
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It was agony (=very painful) getting up out of bed.
▪ suffering noun [uncountable] continuous physical or mental pain, which makes someone very unhappy:
I just wanted someone to put an end to my suffering.
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the suffering of the earthquake victims