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

After the 2013 decision to admit gay youth, some disgruntled conservatives formed a new group, Trail Life USA, which created its own ranks, badges and uniforms. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025

Maybe a disgruntled shareholder of either of these companies. —Tax Notes Staff, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

It is set on the fictional Winthrop Island in New England, and features a disgruntled daughter and her famous mother who are connected to a young woman on a steamboat from 200 years in the past. —Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2025

For undecided or disgruntled voters, the power of opposition research can be a deciding factor in who to vote for. —Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of disgruntle

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above