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.

---

Other Word Forms

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

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

“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

But it wasn't the fact that the book was getting adapted that left them feeling discontented.

From Salon • Aug. 12, 2024

Fabio Capello lead a campaign that mirrored his countenance - grim, austere and discontented, the Italian choosing to base England in a gilded cage at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace outside Rustenburg.

From BBC • Jul. 13, 2024

Many, no doubt; and I shall be called discontented.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë