disappointing

1 of 2

adjective

dis·​ap·​point·​ing ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯin-tiŋ 

: failing to meet expectations

a disappointing meal

disappointingly

ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯin-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

disappointing

2 of 2

present participle of disappoint

Examples of disappointing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Following its disappointing third-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, Alphabet had its worst day ever on the stock market, plunging more than 12% and wiping out about $500 billion in market cap. — Ari Levy, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026

Capcom was in a similar lull after 2012’s disappointing Resident Evil 6, a bloated and confusing entry that made players fear the end of the series. — Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 1 Nov. 2026

Then there's my colleague Chris, who already knows his way around a Samsung foldable and still found Apple's version disappointing enough to return it. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026

So far this year, employers — companies, government agencies and nonprofits — have been adding an average of 68,000 jobs a month, including a disappointing 29,000 last month. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1530, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for disappointing

• anointing
• appointing
• pinpointing
• jointing
• pointing