discontent
Americanadjective
noun
-
Also discontentment. lack of contentment; dissatisfaction.
- Synonyms:
- inquietude, uneasiness, displeasure, restlessness
-
a restless desire or craving for something one does not have.
-
a malcontent.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
Also called: discontentment. lack of contentment, as with one's condition or lot in life
-
a discontented person
adjective
verb
Related Words
See dissatisfaction.
Other Word Forms
- discontented adjective
- discontentedly adverb
- discontentedness noun
- prediscontent noun
- prediscontentment noun
Etymology
Origin of discontent
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.
Vocabulary lists containing discontent
Power Prefix: dis-
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Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Of Mice and Men
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
People express their discontent by banging pots and pans during blackouts.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Analogous surveys of Russian adults haven’t been published to avoid drawing attention to the scale of discontent, according to reporting in Meduza.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
The families have never been happy with that outcome, and made that clear on the steps of Nottingham Crown Court after the sentencing, expressing their discontent with elements of the police investigation.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
President Miguel Diaz-Canel acknowledged in an X post "the discontent our people feel because of the prolonged blackouts" after the early March outage.
From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026
Alas, Gertrude’s discontent could not be eased by my attentions.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
