discontent

American  

[dis-kuhn-tent] / ˌdɪs kənˈtɛnt /

adjective

1. not content; dissatisfied; discontented.

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noun

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

Related Words

See dissatisfaction.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of discontent

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

Example Sentences

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

Council President and chairman of the talks Costa added to the chorus of discontent, describing Hungary's actions as "completely unacceptable".

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

Ever since the Hunger Games, the discontent in District 8 had been growing.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• displeasure
• regret
• restlessness
• uneasiness
• unhappiness