1577 N. Breton Floorish vpon Fancie sig. M.i Discountenaunce hee comes first, and feares mee in this wyse: He hangs his lyppe, holds downe his head, & lookes vnder his eyes.

a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1593) iv. sig. Ll3^v What an inward discountenance it was to maister Damaetas, to finde his hope of wealth turned to poore verses.

a1628 F. Greville Life of Sidney (1651) vii. 86 The discountenance, and depression which appeared in Sir Francis.

a1641 J. Finett Philoxenis (1656) 39 Much to their discountenance and discontent.

1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 836 He [sc. Pompey] thought that the estimacion of Cato was altogether the discountenaunce [Fr. ruine] of his [own] power and greatnesse.

1607 Dobsons Drie Bobbes vi. sig. H4 Hee repayed all his vncles discountenances with measurable disgraces.

1642 Bp. J. Taylor Of Sacred Order Episcopacy (1647) 338 All discountenance and disgrace done to the Clergy reflect upon Christ.

1673 in O. Airy Essex Papers (1890) I. 151 The countenance given to the subscribers and discountenance to the refusers.

1725 J. Collier Several Disc. 369 The Publishers of it..lay under Discountenance and Persecution from the civil Powers.

1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones VI. xviii. iii. 182 Whether it be that the one Way of cheating is a Discountenance or Reflection upon the other, or [etc.] . View more context for this quotation

1779 S. Johnson Milton in Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets II. 223 His great works were performed under discountenance.

1812 P. B. Shelley Proposals for Assoc. Philanthropists 7 The discountenance which government will shew to such an association.

1842 Naval Jrnl. Jan. 156/2 Those who had a short time since the humanity to propose..a discountenance of this criminal conduct.

1862 Ld. Brougham Brit. Constit. (ed. 3) i. 4 Discountenance of warlike policy.

1904 Amer. Architect & Building News 26 Mar. 100/1 The labor unions, while in a sense deplorable because of their discountenance of all originality, [etc.].

1999 N. Oreskes Rejection of Continental Drift x. 291 A shift in methodological standards accounts for..the discountenance of the work of Alexander du Toit.

1574 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Job xxx. 139/2 True it is that men flatter themselues by discountenancing of their sinnes [Fr. en desguisant leurs pechez], according as we see how these diuelish skoffers and Iesters do cloke them at this day, so that now a dayes if a man speake of Lecherie, it shall be made but a tricke of youth.

1587 Sir P. Sidney & A. Golding tr. P. de Mornay Trewnesse Christian Relig. xii. 196 His owne ambition, which was paraduenture discountenanced [Fr. desguisée] too the common people, but could not be counterfetted before God, who seeth the very bottom of our hearts.

1633 C. Aleyn Battailes Crescey & Poictiers (ed. 2) 62 Nor could we tell what dangerous mischiefe lay To be hatch'd up under the wings of night, Which had even now discountenanc'd the day.

1711 Ld. Shaftesbury Characteristicks III. v. 378 The higher Life must be allay'd, and in a manner discountenanc'd and obscur'd; whilst the lower displays it-self, and is exhibited as principal.

1584 R. Greene Gwydonius f. 36 Though want of dignitie disgrace me, though want of coyne discountenaunce me, though lacke of wealth impaires my credite, [etc.].

a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) i. xix. sig. M1^v Thinking it want of education, which made him so discountenaunced with vnwoonted presence.

1601 B. Jonson Fountaine of Selfe-love iii. i. sig. E4 Sir, let not this discountenance, or dis-gallant you a whit. View more context for this quotation

1671 J. Milton Paradise Regain'd ii. 218 How would one look from his Majestick brow..Discount'nance her despis'd. View more context for this quotation

1690 tr. U. Chevreau Great Scanderberg 89 He was no more discountenanced then, than if he had been at the head of his Army.

1707 J. Norris Pract. Treat. Humility ix. 359 How is my pride further discountenanced, when I see thee my Lord..chusing to unite thyself..with flesh and blood.

1779 S. Johnson Dryden in Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets III. 135 He was very modest, and very easily to be discountenanced in his approaches to his equals or superiors.

1858 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia II. viii. vi. 367 He appeared much discountenanced at this last part of my narrative.

1895 E. Castle Light of Scarthey xxviii. 415 He examined her with a malevolent eye which still discountenanced her.

1986 S. Penman Here be Dragons (1991) (U.K. ed.) i. xl. 552 Richard was not easily discountenanced. John had never seen him so shaken.

2003 Times (Nexis) 29 Dec. 9 Legend has it that he was so discountenanced by the frosty reception he received that he ensured that the Luftwaffe bombed the town.

1644 J. Milton Doctr. Divorce (ed. 2) To Parl. sig. A2^v The sole advocate of a discount'nanc't truth.

1749 W. Dodwell Free Answer 97 To prevent their preaching a discountenanced Doctrine.

1821 W. Scott Kenilworth II. xii. 298 The discountenanced mercer rode back much slower than he came.

2009 E. Mackie Rakes, Highwaymen, & Pirates i. 12 Modes of authority associated with a discountenanced, indeed criminalized, aristocratic ethos.

1574 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Job xxxvi. 167/1 Let vs not thinke that God laugheth at vs: but lette vs rather too consider that his discountenauncing of the matter is for nothing else but to exercise vs.

1667 J. Locke Ess. Toleration in H. R. F. Bourne Life J. Locke (1876) I. iv. 189 The discountenancing of popery amongst us.

1793 Universal Mag. June 407/2 The discountenancing of ancestry..is so far from a proof of our being wiser than formerly, that [etc.].

1875 Canad. Methodist Mag. Nov. 420 The discountenancing of every press or person that should advocate the hateful cause of the Dissenters.

2004 T. Andersson in B. Murdoch & M. Read Early Germanic Lit. & Culture 192 Bandamanna saga relates the discountenancing at law of eight chieftains by a sly old man with a sardonic view of human nature.