: 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 WebManuel 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
Jessie Yeung, CNN, 17 July 2024
That financial disparity, coupled with growing discontent over the handling of NIL, has some wondering if the Power Four will eventually become the Power Two, with the SEC and Big Ten choosing to eventually break away from the NCAA and choosing to govern themselves.
—Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2024
Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 July 2024
An increasingly authoritarian former Soviet republic, Tajikistan ranks among the world’s poorest countries, which fuels discontent and drives millions of migrant laborers to seek better lives abroad.
—Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for discontent 
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
What stands out about the latest stabbings is the social media debate triggered by them, which experts say reflects a growing sense of anxiety and discontent that has spread across the nation in recent years as the country’s economy struggles to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 17 July 2024
That financial disparity, coupled with growing discontent over the handling of NIL, has some wondering if the Power Four will eventually become the Power Two, with the SEC and Big Ten choosing to eventually break away from the NCAA and choosing to govern themselves.
—Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2024
Verb
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
An increasingly authoritarian former Soviet republic, Tajikistan ranks among the world’s poorest countries, which fuels discontent and drives millions of migrant laborers to seek better lives abroad.
—Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for discontent
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'discontent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near discontent
Cite this Entry
“Discontent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discontent. Accessed 26 Jul. 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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