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Definition of disgruntled

disgruntled

/dɪsˈɡrʌn.təld/
dis · grun · tled
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disgruntled Lexical Profile

disgruntled Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Angry, dissatisfied, or resentful, especially because of perceived unfair treatment or unmet expectations.

Example

"Several disgruntled customers wrote letters to the management complaining about the sudden price increase."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for disgruntled
Antonyms
View all antonyms for disgruntled

Word Nuance & Usage

Although the prefix 'dis-' usually indicates negation, here it acts as an intensifier meaning 'utterly'; its modern opposite 'gruntled' (pleased, satisfied) was later coined in the 20th century as a humorous back-formation.

• Rhymes for disgruntled

• Nearby Words

disgracefully
disgracefulness
disgruntle
disgruntled
disgruntlement
disguise
disguiser

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the late 17th century from the intensifying prefix 'dis-' (meaning utterly or completely) and the dialectal verb 'gruntle' (to grumble or complain, a frequentative form of 'grunt').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Disgruntled. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/disgruntled
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