disgruntle

verb

dis·​grun·​tle dis-ˈgrən-tᵊl How to pronounce disgruntle (audio)
disgruntled; disgruntling dis-ˈgrənt-liŋ How to pronounce disgruntle (audio)
-ˈgrən-tᵊl-iŋ

transitive verb

: to make ill-humored or discontented
usually used as a participial adjective
they were a very disgruntled crewFlannery O'Connor
angry letters from disgruntled readers
disgruntlement noun

Examples of disgruntle in a Sentence

an employee, disgruntled by the restaurant owner's shabby treatment, turned him in to the IRS a crew disgruntled by a long voyage that provided no opportunity for recreation onshore
Recent Examples on the Web After the segment, the Daily Beast reported that staff at CNN were disgruntled by Lemon’s comments and that several had complained internally. Shannon Larson, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Feb. 2023 Atlanta could look to flip either John Collins or Dejounte Murray in order to recoup some draft capital from the Murray trade, and while no such demand has arisen yet, there seems to be at least one disgruntled All-Star looking to be moved each offseason. Michael Shapiro, Chron, 16 May 2023 The prince was then also photographed on the Buckingham Palace balcony following the Trooping the Colour parade looking disgruntled with the loud noises emitted from the special airplane show. Harper's BAZAAR, 8 May 2023 Fans have been disgruntled with owner John Fisher, citing the lack of upkeep at the stadium, which the A's have played in since 1968, and also the lack of commitment to build the team. Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2023 Social media videos showed long lines formed at the departure gates inside the airport with passengers disgruntled at the rare systems error. Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 31 Mar. 2023 Supporters of Tahiliani acknowledged that some teachers and parents were disgruntled, but cited extensive positive feedback from students and families, including an influx of emails from parents of students with disabilities. Christopher Huffaker, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Mar. 2023 Marketers should be hyper-aware of viewing habits in order to serve relevant content that upholds Netflix’s creative standards – and ensure that marketing efforts don’t disgruntle users accustomed to ad-free. Olivia Atkins, Variety, 31 Oct. 2022 Privacy, Please Don't be disgruntled: other states are already taking action to follow California's lead in the data privacy space. Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 18 Feb. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disgruntle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

dis- + gruntle to grumble, from Middle English gruntlen, frequentative of grunten to grunt

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disgruntle was in 1682

Dictionary Entries Near disgruntle

Cite this Entry

“Disgruntle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disgruntle. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disgruntle

verb
dis·​grun·​tle dis-ˈgrənt-ᵊl How to pronounce disgruntle (audio)
disgruntled; disgruntling -ˈgrənt-liŋ How to pronounce disgruntle (audio)
-ᵊl-iŋ
: to put in a bad mood
disgruntlement noun

More from Merriam-Webster on disgruntle

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!