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.
According to disgruntled cattlemen, the “Oprah Effect” doesn’t just have the power to boost sales, it can drop them too.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 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
Coupang called it a "groundless" claim by a disgruntled former executive.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Some disgruntled loved ones may feel abandoned or envy your decision.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
The others, disgruntled, turned their energy toward solving the riddle.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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.
