Meaning & use
malcontent
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who is unhappy with the way things are and tends to rebel against authority.
Grammar: Countable; you can say 'a malcontent' or 'malcontents.' It often appears in political or workplace contexts.
Patterns
- a malcontent
- a group of malcontents
- malcontents against something
The manager saw him as a malcontent who complained about every new rule.
A small group of malcontents tried to disrupt the meeting.
The rebels were labeled malcontents by the government.
adjectivebefore a noun
Unhappy with existing conditions and likely to rebel.
Grammar: Used before a noun: 'malcontent workers.' It is not usually used after a linking verb; for that, use 'discontented.'
Patterns
- malcontent workers
- malcontent soldiers
- malcontent faction
The malcontent employees refused to follow the new schedule.
Malcontent citizens protested outside the parliament building.
He wrote an article about malcontent youth in the city.
Word forms
| plural | malcontents |
|---|
Common combinations
- a group of malcontents
- A group of malcontents gathered in the square.
- malcontent workers
- The strike was led by malcontent workers.
- political malcontent
- He was known as a political malcontent who opposed every policy.
- malcontent faction
- A malcontent faction within the party caused trouble.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dissident
- A dissident disagrees with official policy, often for political reasons; a malcontent is more generally unhappy and rebellious.
- rebel
- A rebel actively fights against authority; a malcontent may just complain or resist in smaller ways.
- complainer
- A complainer often complains but may not rebel; a malcontent is more strongly dissatisfied and inclined to act against authority.
Opposites
Word family
- malcontented adjective
- Rare; means dissatisfied or discontented.
- malcontentedly adverb
- Rare; in a dissatisfied manner.
Commonly confused: malcontent or discontent? malcontent or malcontented?
malcontent vs discontent
Discontent is a feeling of unhappiness (noun) or unhappy (adjective); a malcontent is a person who feels and acts on that unhappiness.
malcontent vs malcontented
Malcontented is an adjective meaning dissatisfied; malcontent is more often a noun for a person.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'malcontent' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Malcontent' as an adjective means unhappy and rebellious, so 'unhappy with the new contract' fits. 'Happy' is the opposite, 'contentment' is a noun and does not fit grammatically, and 'malcontented' is a rare adjective that would be redundant here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “malcontent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.