disappointing

adjective

dis·​ap·​point·​ing ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯin-tiŋ How to pronounce disappointing (audio)
: failing to meet expectations
a disappointing meal
disappointingly adverb

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web And thankfully, the retailer is not disappointing this year. Emily Belfiore, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2023 The situation was disappointing, but not wholly unexpected. Jonathan O'callaghan, Scientific American, 16 Feb. 2023 That’s disappointing because, for $549, this would be a really interesting alternative for PC gamers looking at VR headsets. Tom Warren, The Verge, 16 Feb. 2023 That’s not bad, just disappointing, especially as any number of other first-rate contemporary Black artists long concerned with similar approaches are surprisingly excluded. Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2023 The box office profile for the remaining best picture contenders is decidedly more muted, and, in some cases, disappointing. Pamela Mcclintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2023 Terms like disrespectful, embarrassing, disappointing, troubling and demoralizing were correctly used by various members of the organization late Friday night. Chris Fedor, cleveland, 21 Jan. 2023 Wednesday’s 97-88 loss to Tulane was disappointing for the SMU men’s basketball team, but not discouraging in their minds. Joseph Hoyt, Dallas News, 11 Jan. 2023 What’s disappointing is that even the clear thinkers in the profession occasionally go off track. John Tamny, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disappointing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disappointing was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near disappointing

Cite this Entry

“Disappointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disappointing. Accessed 20 Mar. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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