malcontent

1 of 2

noun

mal·​con·​tent ˌmal-kən-ˈtent How to pronounce malcontent (audio)
: a discontented person:
a
: one who bears a grudge from a sense of grievance or thwarted ambition
malcontents … bitter and almost choking with self-pityE. W. Griffiths
b
: one who is in active opposition to an established order or government : rebel
a country infested with political malcontents

malcontent

2 of 2

adjective

: dissatisfied with the existing state of affairs : discontented

Examples of malcontent in a Sentence

Noun He complained so much that he got a reputation for being a malcontent. Adjective she seems like a very malcontent person, always acting as if the entire world were out to get her
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
But what sets Bader apart from his fellow contextual malcontents, and perhaps what makes his art so likeable and thereby effective, is a consistent throughline of bizarro humor. Jeff Gibson, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024 Vegas sent the malcontent to the New York Jets on Tuesday for a mere conditional third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Vincent Frank, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Adjective
The South West is a healing mecca for artists and malcontent media sorts, new age travelers, purveyors of crystals and surfers seeking budget California on the beaches of the Cornish Atlantic. Crispin Hunt, Billboard, 22 May 2019 But prominent leaders — not least, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany — warned that a jilted European Union would be in no mood to extend Britain a rewarding deal, lest other malcontent members take encouragement to go for the exits. Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 23 June 2016 See all Example Sentences for malcontent 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle French, from mal- + content content

First Known Use

Noun

1581, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1584, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of malcontent was in 1581

Dictionary Entries Near malcontent

Cite this Entry

“Malcontent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malcontent. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

malcontent

adjective
mal·​con·​tent
ˌmal-kən-ˈtent
: not satisfied with the existing state of affairs : discontented
malcontent noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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