: 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
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 21 May 2025
Yet there has been discontent among the fanbase at the steady trickle of youthful talent exiting the club this summer.
—Andy Jones, The Athletic, 24 Aug. 2024
Madeline King, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2025
Congressional Republicans, who had experienced an unwelcome taste of popular discontent at their own formerly placid town halls, were now under orders from party headquarters to avoid such encounters.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
Dilan Gomih, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Unfortunately, many employees are feeling detached from and discontented with their work.
—Mick Hunt, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for discontent
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Adjective
Ishiba’s cabinet approval rating dropped to an all-time low of 27.4%, as voters grow increasingly discontent with the administration’s failure to address soaring rice prices and rejection of consumption tax cuts in response to rising inflation, according to a Kyodo News poll released Sunday.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 21 May 2025
Yet there has been discontent among the fanbase at the steady trickle of youthful talent exiting the club this summer.
—Andy Jones, The Athletic, 24 Aug. 2024
Noun
Public discontent with White — a former Kansas City Royals player and Democrat serving as the county executive since 2016 — stemmed mainly from frustration over increases in Jackson County property tax evaluations in recent years, organizers have said.
—Madeline King, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2025
Congressional Republicans, who had experienced an unwelcome taste of popular discontent at their own formerly placid town halls, were now under orders from party headquarters to avoid such encounters.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
Verb
Just as small actions build routine, ignored cues let discontent harden into isolation.
—Dilan Gomih, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Unfortunately, many employees are feeling detached from and discontented with their work.
—Mick Hunt, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for discontent
Cite this Entry
“Discontent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discontent. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.
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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