disgruntled

adjective

dis·​grun·​tled dis-ˈgrən-tᵊld 

: unhappy and annoyed

a disgruntled employee

She led her sodden and disgruntled team back into the changing rooms, insisting that the practice had not been a waste of time, though without any real conviction in her voice.

—J. K. Rowling

… a $300,000 refund pool for disgruntled former customers …

—Kevin McGurk

The crowd was up as well, and just as disgruntled as it had been the night before.

—Christopher Cooper & Robert Block

Synonyms

• aggrieved
• discontent
• discontented
• displeased
• dissatisfied
• malcontent

Examples of disgruntled in a Sentence

a disgruntled postal worker was responsible for the vandalism

Recent Examples on the Web

The most memorable scene in Fitzgerald’s novel involves Stahr spinning, for a disgruntled British playwright named Boxley, a meaningless scenario. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 9 June 2025

As a result, there is a large portion of the team’s fanbase that remains disgruntled at ownership for moving to Sin City instead of continuing to play in Oakland. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2025

In the background, but probably most importantly, China may be on track to commercialize fusion energy before the US or its disgruntled allies. —Wal Van Lierop, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025

At the time, authorities said the person claimed to be a disgruntled employee barricaded in a factory bathroom. —Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of disgruntle

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above