malcontent

Etymology

From Middle French malcontent, from mal- + content; compare Late Latin malecontentus.

adj

1. Dissatisfied with current conditions; disaffected, discontented, rebellious.
   [Alban] Butler also commends the piety of Simon Montfort, the persecutor of the Albigenses, and the father of the famous malcontent earl of Leicester, who flourished in the reign of king Henry III. 1810, Joseph Milner, Isaac Milner, “Century XIII. Chap. VI. Authors and Eminent Persons in this Century.”, in The History of the Church of Christ. Volume the Fourth: Containing the Remainder of the Thirteenth Century; also the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Part of the Sixteenth Centuries. Edited on the Plan and in Part from the Mss. of the Late Rev. Joseph Milner, A.M. Edition the Second, with Large Additions, Corrections, etc. by the Revᵈ. Isaac Milner, D.D., F.R.S. Dean of Carlisle, and President of Queen's College, Cambridge (The Works of the Late Rev. Joseph Milner, A.M.; IV), 2nd edition, London: Printed by Luke Hansard & Sons, for T[homas] Cadell and W. Davies, in the Strand, →OCLC, page 24
   The duke of Gloucester was a sickly child […] he died of a sore throat, and rash fever, occasioned by an imprudent participation in the festivities of his birthday. The famous humourist, Dr. [John] Radcliffe, the Abernethy of his day, who was malcontent with the government, was called in too late, he declared, to save his royal patient. 1838 May, “Description of the Portrait of Queen Anne”, in The Court Magazine and Monthly Critic, and the Lady's Magazine and Museum, a Family Journal of Original Tales, Reviews of Literature, the Fine Arts, Music, Drama, Fashions, &c. &c. (United Series), volume XII, London: Dobbs & Co., →OCLC, page 55, column 1
   Sir, I will stake any thing short of my salvation, that those who are malcontent now, will be more malcontent three years hence, than they are at this day. I have no favor for this Constitution. 1851, Hugh A. Garland, quoting John Randolph of Roanoke, “The Virginia Convention—Every Change is Not Reform”, in The Life of John Randolph of Roanoke, volume II, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, 200 Broadway; Philadelphia, Pa.: Geo[rge] S[wett] Appleton, 164 Chestnut-Street, →OCLC, page 331
   To cap everything, yet another war waged by malcontent generals did further widespread damage to the railways. 1941 October, F. S. Bond, “The Railways of China”, in Railway Magazine, page 438
   The stress created by all of the changes seemed to be more than she could handle. Initially, she thought her husband was malcontent on purpose and felt he was aware of the arguments he seemed to be starting. 1999, Jodi J. Olshevski; Anne D. Katz; Bob G. Knight; T. J. McCallum, “Stress-Neutral Thoughts”, in Stress Reduction for Caregivers, Philadelphia, Pa.; London: Brunner/Mazel, ISBN 978-0-87630-940-7; republished New York, N.Y.: Routledge, 2012, page 94

noun

1. A person who is not satisfied with current conditions; a discontented person, a rebel.
   The diſcord rather than the muſick is heard from the malcontent Malevole's chamber. c. 1603, John Marston; John Webster, The Malcontent […], London; republished in [Isaac Reed, editor], A Select Collection of Old Plays […], volume 4, 2nd edition, London: J[ames] Dodsley, 1780, OCLC 645791152, page 17
   For is it not eaſy to ſee, that a Prince made odious and contemptible, will ſoon be removed from his Throne, when it is in the Power of the Malecontents to bring about ſuch a fatal Revolution? 1734, “a country clergyman”, A Caveat against Seditious Malcontents […], London: Rest Fenner; S. Birt, →OCLC, page 27
   He is the victim of circumstances, and their martyr. His asseverations of the facts are so frequent and so earnest, that it is impossible to dispute it. […] Everywhere confronted by implacable circumstance, what remained for the malcontent but to flee from his enemy, and endeavour to retrieve his broken fortunes in a new world! […] So the malcontent took passage for Australia, and blessed us with his presence. 21 February 1856, “Representative Men. The Malcontent.”, in Melbourne Punch, volume II, Melbourne, Vic.: Printed & published at the Office, 23 Collins-Street, East, →OCLC, page 17
2. (obsolete) A state of discontentment or dissatisfaction; something that causes discontent.
   If there was malcontent on his part, it did not spring from economic limitations alone, but also from the effect of these economic limitations upon his social and legal status as a small farmer. The state of constant indebtdness in which the contadino found himself contributed to his malcontent. 1967, Leonard [H.] Covello, “The Social Structure of the Southern Italian Town”, in Francesco Cordasco, editor, The Social Background of the Italo-American School Child: A Study of the Southern Italian Family Mores and Their Effect on the School Situation in Italy and America, Leiden: E. J. Brill, →OCLC, page 84

verb

1. (transitive, obsolete) To cause discontent or dissatisfaction.
   […] James Bond adventure with a Ward Bond delivery, reams of malcontenting and anti-literary remarks, first-class manipulation of Anglo-Saxon's juicier words, and quotations from the Great Books and from William Kite's notebook. 1966, R. Z. Sheppard, Book Review Digest, volume 62, New York, N.Y.: H. W. Wilson Company, →OCLC, page 732