discontented

American  

[dis-kuhn-ten-tid] / ˌdɪs kənˈtɛn tɪd /

adjective

1. not content or satisfied; dissatisfied; restlessly unhappy.

   For all their wealth, or perhaps because of it, they were discontented.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prediscontented
  adjective
• discontentedly
  adverb
• self-discontented
  adjective
• discontentedness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of discontented

First recorded in 1485–95; discontent + -ed ²

Explanation

If you're feeling discontented, it means you're not happy with your current situation. If you're bored with the same old routine, someone might say that you're discontented. Feeling discontented usually means that there's a gap between the way things are and the way you want them to be. So what can you do about that? Discontented American colonists rebelled against heavy-handed British rule and fought a war to forge a new nation. Discontented workers have formed labor unions to fight collectively for better conditions. If you're discontented with your grades or social group, you can make a change. Work with a tutor, or make new friends — maybe with your tutor!

Example Sentences

But from the Russians, apart from some discontented mutterings about European involvement and unauthorised leaks, the response has been somewhat muted.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

“No wonder that this results in an unhappy and discontented worker,” he wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 7, 2025

All that lucre couldn’t override the prevailing sentiment among discontented voters who were ready, after nearly eight years of the uber-outsider Arnold Schwarzenegger, to embrace the tried-and-true experience of the reemergent Jerry Brown.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2025

To the discontented rumors are feed, Mysaria tells her queen, advising her to let others do what she can’t.

From Salon • Jul. 18, 2024

“A little, when you look moody and discontented, as you sometimes do, for you’ve got such a strong will, if you once get started wrong, I’m afraid it would be hard to stop you.”

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott