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.
Also on the table are old letters addressed to Ferguson from disgruntled United fans amid speculation he was about to sell midfielder Paul Ince to Inter Milan in the summer of 1995.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
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
After the first day of their concert, disgruntled comments emerged online among fans.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
That Peter was sponsoring a program for ex-offenders at his greenhouse business means no end of possible suspects, disgruntled or otherwise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
After a whole day of wrangling the babies and thinking disgruntled thoughts about those pennies, I launched a new campaign at dinner that night.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
