disgruntled

adjective

dis·​grun·​tled dis-ˈgrən-tᵊld 

: unhappy and annoyed

a disgruntled employee

She led her sodden and disgruntled team back into the changing rooms, insisting that the practice had not been a waste of time, though without any real conviction in her voice.

—J. K. Rowling

… a $300,000 refund pool for disgruntled former customers …

—Kevin McGurk

The crowd was up as well, and just as disgruntled as it had been the night before.

—Christopher Cooper & Robert Block

Synonyms of disgruntled

• dissatisfied
• frustrated

Examples of disgruntled in a Sentence

a disgruntled postal worker was responsible for the vandalism

Recent Examples on the Web

He is joined by John Goodman as the disgruntled president of the United States. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 July 2026

After a fire—rumored to have been set by a disgruntled former suitor of one of the Gangotena daughters—badly damaged the mansion, Italian architects rebuilt it in the early 20th century, giving it its distinctive Neoclassical character. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026

The disgruntled employee accused of burning down a Boyle Heights warehouse compared himself to Mangione, according to officials. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 7 July 2026

The committee said in the report that Coupang has been the target of discriminatory pressure from the South Korean government that intensified in 2025 after a data breach perpetrated by a disgruntled former employee. — Justin Papp, CNBC, 1 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of disgruntle

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above