A Straight Dope Classic from Cecil's Storehouse of Human Knowledge
Is the opposite of "disgruntled" "gruntled"?
October 2, 1987
Dear Cecil:
"Dishonest" is the opposite of "honest," right? So does that mean the opposite of "disgruntled" is "gruntled"?
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Cecil replies:
You must have been a great trial to your mother, D. Dis- isn't always used to negate; sometimes it's an intensifier. "Gruntle" is an old dialect word meaning "to grumble." So "disgruntled" means you're really grumbling. There are times when I can definitely relate.
