Synonyms of discontent

discontent 1 of 3

adjective

ˌdis-kən-ˈtent 

as in dissatisfied

having a feeling that one has been wronged or thwarted in one's ambitions

a novel about a woman who is desperately discontent with the stifling limitations of her small-town life

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dissatisfied
• frustrated
• discontented
• displeased
• disgruntled
• disillusioned
• unhappy
• aggrieved
• malcontent
• out of joint
• disappointed
• disturbed
• depressed
• upset
• unfulfilled
• disenchanted
• sad
• perturbed
• miserable
• despairing
• sorrowful
• disconsolate
• dejected
• disquieted
• inconsolable
• joyless
• doleful
• downcast
• despondent
• mournful
• forlorn
• downhearted
• hangdog
• low-spirited
• down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• content
• satisfied
• contented
• joyous
• joyful
• happy
• pleased
• glad
• blissful
• gratified
• delighted
• triumphant
• jubilant
• exultant
• elated

discontent

2 of 3

noun

as in dissatisfaction

the condition of being dissatisfied with one's life or situation

the rebels worked to stir up discontent among the citizens

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dissatisfaction
• displeasure
• resentment
• discontentment
• disgruntlement
• discontentedness
• bitterness
• sadness
• uneasiness
• unhappiness
• disquiet
• perturbation
• sorrow
• dejection
• misery
• blues
• dreariness
• aggrievement
• dumps
• depression
• despondency
• wretchedness
• doldrums
• downheartedness
• desolation
• dolor
• disconsolateness
• desolateness
• dolefulness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• satisfaction
• contentment
• pleasure
• joy
• happiness
• contentedness
• bliss
• gladness
• felicity
• exultation
• triumph
• jubilation
• lightheartedness
• elatedness

discontent

3 of 3

verb

as in to displease

to make discontented

the ongoing lack of decent food discontented and demoralized the soldiers in the rebel army

Synonyms & Similar Words

• displease
• dissatisfy
• annoy
• irritate
• upset
• disturb
• disaffect
• disgruntle
• disquiet
• agitate
• alienate
• estrange
• depress
• perturb
• irk
• discompose
• aggrieve
• sadden
• peeve
• nettle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• content
• satisfy
• please
• gratify
• delight
• gladden
• tickle
• calm
• soothe
• tranquillize
• tranquilize

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of discontent

Adjective

Things got so bad that even the national government, which is battling sky-high inflation and an increasingly discontent society, found the time to intervene — only to retreat when its effort was mocked as a waste of government resources. —Natalie Alcoba, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2022

Dacus: Mine is that Julien and Phoebe are way more willing to be discontent than me (and express that). —Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Apr. 2023

Noun

Widespread discontent with Trump could hobble Republican efforts to jam Trump’s massive package of tax and government spending cuts through a divided Congress. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025

April 5, 2025 at 6:34 PM PDT Loading your audio article Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the nation’s streets Saturday in an eruption of anger, alarm and seething discontent over President Donald Trump’s wholesale remaking of America’s economy, its government and its place in the world. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2025

Verb

Written by Escola, Oh Mary! reimagines the life of Mary Todd Lincoln, depicting her as a wannabe cabaret star with a drinking problem who is discontented with her life in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. —Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025

This focus drew on the work of critics of the old economic orthodoxy, who charged that the neoliberal emphasis on free trade without any supports for workers had hollowed out once thriving manufacturing communities and led to discontent with the deindustrialization that fueled Trump’s rise. —Jason Furman, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2025