A state of embarrassment, confusion, or defeat; the condition of being discomfited or frustrated in one's plans.
From Old French desconfiture, combining the verb desconfire (to defeat) with -ure (noun-forming suffix from Latin -ura), originally meaning total military defeat, later generalized to any form of defeat or embarrassment.
The -ure suffix creates nouns from verbs and represents states or results — think 'failure,' 'measure,' 'treasure' — and 'discomfiture' beautifully captures that specific feeling of social or psychological defeat that's worse than mere embarrassment.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.