disappointing

adjective

dis·​ap·​point·​ing ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯin-tiŋ 

: failing to meet expectations

a disappointing meal

disappointingly

ˌdis-ə-ˈpȯin-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

Examples of disappointing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Kansas City Royals returned to action on Friday night one day after being walked off in disappointing fashion by the Minnesota Twins. — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026

The third-year wideout, after a disappointing 2025, has had a wonderful summer. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026

Fresh from lifting the FIFA Club World Cup and buoyed by optimism around Enzo Maresca’s project, the Blues stumbled to a disappointing 10th-place Premier League finish. — Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 31 July 2026

And speaking of men being disappointing, Ava changes the conversation to vaguely tell them all that her intuition about her boyfriend, Hook, was correct, and that they’re now broken up. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 30 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for disappointing

• anointing
• appointing
• pinpointing
• jointing
• pointing