dissatisfactory

adjective

(ˌ)di(s)-ˌsa-təs-ˈfak-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce dissatisfactory (audio)
Definition of dissatisfactorynext
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard this report is completely dissatisfactory on several counts

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dissatisfactory This creates a dissatisfactory customer experience for the 90% of people stopped who actually paid for their items. — Guy Yehiav, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 Set primarily in the South, Plattner’s vignettes provide intimate glimpses into a series of singular events that, when strung together, paint a larger picture of the melancholic and frequently dissatisfactory state of existing in the modern world. — Leah Tyler, ajc, 30 May 2022 In ThedaCare’s case, an attorney described dissatisfactory management and positions in which employees had been chronically underpaid. — Molly Osberg, The New Republic, 25 Jan. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissatisfactory
  1. unacceptable
  2. wrong
  3. poor
  4. lame
  5. bad
  6. deficient
  7. unsatisfactory
  8. disastrous
Adjective
  • That explanation, which was given to Quatraro on the field, clearly was unacceptable to the Royals manager.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Both noted that any sort of political violence is unacceptable.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Remember, taking the wrong benefit at the wrong time is always smaller and forever.
    — Thomas Hager, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Therefore, therapy should do more than help people identify what’s wrong with their relationships.
    — David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • Dozens of companies have withdrawn over the past decades due to poor profits, an uncertain business outlook and concerns about harm to their reputations from making arms, especially lethal weapons.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Along the way, the audience can expect tons of humiliation, terrible second prizes, and the guarantee that Robertson will turn at least one poor soul's wrong turn into several minutes of unhinged public destruction.
    — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Post-election powers Keisha Lance Bottoms has a message for Republicans who might be tempted to limit her powers in a lame-duck special session if the Democrat wins the race for governor in November.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • President John Adams, after losing his 1800 reëlection bid, used his lame-duck period to fill the judiciary with sympathizers.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • The accident was one of the Portuguese capital’s worst tragedies in recent memory and cast a shadow over the city’s ongoing tourism boom.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The must-read Falling during a hike can lead to a serious injury, or even worse.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • Yet researchers have found that nearly a third of adults in the United States are iron deficient.
    — Anahad O’Connor, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In a deficient area, the exception is exposed, and to last, the exception must be exceptional somewhere else.
    — Zach Berman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of deficient
Adjective
  • Within minutes of Hochul's remarks, New York Attorney General Letitia James issued subpoenas to law enforcement agencies that either did not confirm plans to unwind their agreements, or whose responses were deemed unsatisfactory.
    — Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Babcock Park Pool received an unsatisfactory rating in January for a similar equipment violation.
    — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsatisfactory
Adjective
  • Arjun Poudel, a health reporter in Nepal, was commuting to the offices of the Kathmandu Post, in the country’s capital, when messages started coming in about a disastrous flood in his home town, close to the border with China.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Since a disastrous debut, the rookie right-hander has allowed just two runs over his last 9 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of disastrous

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dissatisfactory
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Cite this Entry

“Dissatisfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissatisfactory. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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