discontent

1 of 4

adjective

dis·​con·​tent ˌdis-kən-ˈtent 

: dissatisfied, discontented

voters growing increasingly discontent

discontent

2 of 4

noun (1)

: lack of satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation : lack of contentment:

a

: a sense of grievance : dissatisfaction

the winter of our discontent

—William Shakespeare

b

: restless aspiration (see aspiration sense 1a) for improvement

discontent

3 of 4

verb

discontented; discontenting; discontents

transitive verb

: to make dissatisfied or discontented

were discontented by the decision

discontentment

ˌdis-kən-ˈtent-mənt 

noun

discontent

4 of 4

noun (2)

: one who is dissatisfied or discontented : malcontent

Synonyms

Adjective

• aggrieved
• discontented
• disgruntled
• displeased
• dissatisfied
• malcontent

Noun (1)

• discontentedness
• discontentment
• disgruntlement
• displeasure
• dissatisfaction

Verb

• disaffect
• disgruntle
• displease
• dissatisfy

Examples of discontent in a Sentence

Adjective

Polls show that voters are growing increasingly discontent.

a novel about a woman who is desperately discontent with the stifling limitations of her small-town life

Noun (1)

the rebels worked to stir up discontent among the citizens

Verb

the ongoing lack of decent food discontented and demoralized the soldiers in the rebel army

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The decision to put an end date on Tuchel’s time at Bayern, in many ways, feels like a band-aid to calm down both the dressing room and also an increasingly discontent fan scene. —Manuel Veth, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

But many long-time moderators remain discontent, and some of the updates haven't materialized yet. —Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 4 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1581, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1549, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1598, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

discontent

1 of 3 adjective

dis·​con·​tent ˌdis-kən-ˈtent 

: discontented

discontent

2 of 3 verb

: to make discontented

discontentment

-mənt

noun

discontent

3 of 3 noun

: the condition of being dissatisfied