Word
discontent
Phoneticsdis·con·tent, stress on the third syllable
US/dɪskənˈtɛnt/
UK/dˌɪskəntˈɛnt/
Definitions
01unhappiness or dissatisfaction
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a feeling of being unhappy or not satisfied with your life, job, or a situation.
n. a state of dissatisfaction or lack of contentment; often used to describe a general mood of unhappiness within a group.
Español:descontento
“There is growing discontent among the staff regarding the new office rules.”
“Widespread economic discontent eventually led to a series of protests across the capital as citizens demanded better living standards.”
Antonyms
02a dissatisfied person
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Literary · Formal
n. a person who is not happy with the way things are and wants change.
n. a person who is dissatisfied or rebellious; a malcontent.
“The political party was full of discontents who wanted to replace the leader.”
“The king feared that the local discontents would unite with foreign agents to destabilise the border regions.”
03to make unhappy
C2 · Proficiency Archaic · Formal
v. to make someone feel unhappy or not satisfied.
v. to deprive of contentment or to make someone dissatisfied. This transitive use is less common than the adjective form.
“The constant changes to the schedule began to discontent the workers.”
“Nothing seemed to discontent him more than the sight of wasted resources and inefficient management.”
Synonyms
04not satisfied
C1 · Advanced Literary
adj. feeling unhappy or not satisfied with what you have.
adj. not content; dissatisfied with one's circumstances. Often replaced by 'discontented' in modern usage.
“He lived a discontent life, always wishing he were somewhere else.”
“The discontent population grew increasingly vocal as the winter food shortages worsened.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Along with Watkins, Villa must resolve Martinez's future after a second summer of discontent from the Argentina international.” “For a long time, the core of Turkiye’s discontent with Israel was the Palestinian issue.” Etymology
From dis- + content.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/discontent
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0