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 of disgruntled

• dissatisfied
• frustrated

Examples of disgruntled in a Sentence

a disgruntled postal worker was responsible for the vandalism

Recent Examples on the Web

The owner, who pleaded guilty in August, said a disgruntled former employee had threatened to contact immigration authorities. —Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026

Legislators have generally steered clear of that type of demotion, fearing a backlash from disgruntled voters, who are prone to see students as consumers entitled to a voice about their own education. —Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026

So disgruntled hosts started asking outright for replies. —Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2026

Fort Worth City Council member Michael Crain, whose district includes much of TCU’s campus, has previously been involved in discussions between disgruntled community members and university administration. —Samuel O'Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of disgruntle

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above