discontent

American  

[dis-kuhn-tent] / ˌdɪs kənˈtɛnt /

adjective

1. not content; dissatisfied; discontented.

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noun

• discontents
  plural

1. Also discontentment. lack of contentment; dissatisfaction.

   Synonyms:

   inquietude, uneasiness, displeasure, restlessness

2. a restless desire or craving for something one does not have.

3. a malcontent.

verb (used with object)

1. to make discontented; dissatisfy; displease.

discontent British  

/ ˌdɪskənˈtɛnt /

noun

1. Also called: discontentment.  lack of contentment, as with one's condition or lot in life

2. a discontented person

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adjective

1. dissatisfied

verb

1. (tr) to make dissatisfied

Synonym Usage

See dissatisfaction.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• discontentedness
  noun
• prediscontent
  noun
• prediscontentment
  noun
• discontented
  adjective
• discontentedly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• discontents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of discontent

First recorded in 1485–95; dis- ¹ + content ²

Explanation

When you experience discontent, you're not happy. You've been let down — either by others or by yourself. The word discontent is made up of dis, meaning "not," and content, "a state of peaceful happiness." So as an adjective, discontent means "not happy or peaceful," like the discontent Egyptian citizens who expressed their dissatisfaction with their country's leader by protesting and demanding he give up power. As a verb, discontent means "to make unhappy," like bad news that discontents you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

discontent discontents

Youth movements arise regularly in politics, especially in times of partisan discontent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Nor has the boom in stock prices assuaged discontent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Up to 8.7 million voters -- a majority of them women -- will decide whether Hichilema's economic reforms deserve another term or whether the opposition can turn widespread discontent into a comeback.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

It’s been a summer of discontent for the momentum trade, which has mostly been hot artificial-intelligence-themed stocks that investors chased higher and could not get enough of, until they did.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

The crowd mumbled discontent, but they gave way under Tool’s gaze.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Always at the heart of these discontents was the battery—or batteries, because there has been a succession of them, an alchemist’s closet of energy-storing potions in weirdly shaped bottles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026

Warehouse labor barks its discontents in “Foul” by the New Orleans post-punk band Special Interest.

From New York Times ● Oct. 7, 2022

While these discontents were roiling, that's when he really met Meghan, and Meghan really reinforced his sense that he wasn't being, essentially, appreciated enough for his own gifts.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2022

‘Happiness’ Black comedies don’t come much blacker than Todd Solondz’s unrated, controversial 1998 tale of suburbia and its discontents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2022

But men must work on, and Wang Lung worked as he had before, although the lengthening warm days and the sunshine and sudden rains filled everyone with longings and discontents.

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck

Related Words

• displeasure
• regret
• restlessness
• uneasiness
• unhappiness