: 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
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
Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Despite his level-headedness, Mike is mightily discontent with the low-wattage gigs that are arranged for him by, of all people, his dentist (Fisher Stevens), who soon replaces that absent tooth.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 16 June 2026
Many of these coupists capitalized on public discontent over deteriorating economies and security conditions to overthrow their predecessors.
—Kaitlyn Rabe, The Conversation, 16 June 2026
Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
But Strout fans will recognize her protagonist: a teacher named Artie Dam who has, by most measures, a terrific life, but who feels vaguely discontented with it.
—Chris Hewitt, Boston Herald, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for discontent
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Adjective
In addition to immigration controversies, there is discontent over ticket prices.
—Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Despite his level-headedness, Mike is mightily discontent with the low-wattage gigs that are arranged for him by, of all people, his dentist (Fisher Stevens), who soon replaces that absent tooth.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
Several premium labels very publicly exited the store amid concerns over unpaid invoices and discontent with sharing floorspace alongside Shein, due to how its ultra-fast-fashion business model has impacted clothing retail in France, as well as concerns about its labor practices.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 16 June 2026
Many of these coupists capitalized on public discontent over deteriorating economies and security conditions to overthrow their predecessors.
—Kaitlyn Rabe, The Conversation, 16 June 2026
Verb
Claude has apparently sought to siphon users discontented with ChatGPT, unveiling an update in February that allows users to import their data from competitor AI chatbots.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
But Strout fans will recognize her protagonist: a teacher named Artie Dam who has, by most measures, a terrific life, but who feels vaguely discontented with it.
—Chris Hewitt, Boston Herald, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for discontent
Cite this Entry
“Discontent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discontent. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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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