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

• dissatisfied
• frustrated

Examples of disgruntled in a Sentence

a disgruntled postal worker was responsible for the vandalism

Recent Examples on the Web

More recently Fortune reports that ‘revenge quitting’ is ready to take its place, with disgruntled employees venting their frustrations by walking out the door. —London Business School, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025

He was assassinated in 1978 by a disgruntled former city supervisor. —Lolita C. Baldor, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025

The manager had already been booed down the tunnel, one disgruntled attendee bellowing ‘TUCHEL OUT’. —Nick Miller, New York Times, 11 June 2025

Miami dealt two disgruntled players -- former All Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight Jonnu Smith -- and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Steelers. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of disgruntle

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above