# discontent

/dɪskənˈtɛnt/ (US) · /dˌɪskəntˈɛnt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/discontent
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. unhappiness or dissatisfaction

noun · CEFR B2

a feeling of being unhappy or not satisfied with your life, job, or a situation.

For teachers: a state of dissatisfaction or lack of contentment; often used to describe a general mood of unhappiness within a group.

- 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.

### 2. a dissatisfied person

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

a person who is not happy with the way things are and wants change.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. to make unhappy

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Formal

to make someone feel unhappy or not satisfied.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. not satisfied

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

feeling unhappy or not satisfied with what you have.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- There is growing discontent among the workers regarding their pay.
- Widespread discontent with the new housing policy led to several peaceful protests in the city center.
- The philosopher argued that a certain level of divine discontent is necessary for human progress, as it prevents the species from becoming stagnant and complacent.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.