: lack of satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation : lack of contentment:
a
: a sense of grievance : dissatisfaction
the winter of our discontent—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
b
: restless aspiration (see aspiration sense 1a) for improvement
discontented; discontenting; discontents
: to make dissatisfied or discontented
were discontented by the decision
: one who is dissatisfied or discontented : malcontent
Synonyms
Examples of discontent in a Sentence
Adjective
Polls show that voters are growing increasingly discontent.
a novel about a woman who is desperately discontent with the stifling limitations of her small-town life
Noun (1)
the rebels worked to stir up discontent among the citizens
Verb
the ongoing lack of decent food discontented and demoralized the soldiers in the rebel army
Recent Examples on the Web
Manuel Veth, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
But many long-time moderators remain discontent, and some of the updates haven't materialized yet.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 4 Sep. 2023
Brian Bennett, TIME, 3 Nov. 2024
Women in Iran continue to defy the mandatory hijab law, a reflection of ongoing discontent following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Samuel Ramani, Foreign Affairs, 17 Feb. 2022
Speculation on Lawrence’s motive ran rampant, with some observers attributing the attack to discontent over Jackson’s efforts to dismantle the national bank.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for discontent 
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Adjective
The decision to put an end date on Tuchel’s time at Bayern, in many ways, feels like a band-aid to calm down both the dressing room and also an increasingly discontent fan scene.
—Manuel Veth, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
But many long-time moderators remain discontent, and some of the updates haven't materialized yet.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 4 Sep. 2023
Noun
But the Trump campaign is trying to capitalize on rising public discontent regarding immigration and border security, framing their plans as a necessary response to what Trump describes as a national crisis.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 3 Nov. 2024
Women in Iran continue to defy the mandatory hijab law, a reflection of ongoing discontent following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
Days later, Malian demonstrators, discontented with French counterterrorism policy, took to the streets waving Russian and Chinese flags.
—Samuel Ramani, Foreign Affairs, 17 Feb. 2022
Speculation on Lawrence’s motive ran rampant, with some observers attributing the attack to discontent over Jackson’s efforts to dismantle the national bank.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for discontent
Dictionary Entries Near discontent
Cite this Entry
“Discontent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discontent. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
discontent
1 of 3 adjective
dis·con·tent
ˌdis-kən-ˈtent 
discontent
2 of 3 verb
: to make discontented
discontentment
noun
-mənt
discontent
3 of 3 noun
: the condition of being dissatisfied
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