disgruntled
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of disgruntled
Explanation
Disgruntled sounds like what it is — dissatisfied, grunting and grumbling. You could become a disgruntled employee if your boss swipes all your best ideas without giving you credit (or a raise). Disgruntled actually comes from gruntle, an old verb meaning, not so surprisingly, "to grunt." When you're disgruntled, you might grunt with dissatisfaction and anger. If you are a disgruntled customer, why not ask to speak to a manager? Unless you'd rather just stand there grunting.
Vocabulary lists containing disgruntled
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Anti-Antonyms: Words Without Opposites
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8
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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.
Now they have some, even if it’s only enough to pursue trades for the disgruntled, the redundant, the overpaid.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
There have been growing calls from disgruntled fans for the club to be sold, with the most vocal showing coming outside King Power Stadium after relegation from the Championship was confirmed last season.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Although Tesla is also in Texas, disgruntled shareholders there would have a clearer path to suing, raising the importance of getting investors on board, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Some disgruntled loved ones may feel abandoned or envy your decision.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Thoroughly disgruntled, the sparrow hopped along like a feathered convict with a ball and chain, forced to follow the young mouse wherever he chose to wander.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
