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

The challenging conditions have led to disappointing results for McDonald’s, Popeyes, KFC and other restaurant competitors. — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026

Last week’s episode was pretty bad, but this one is even more disappointing in some ways. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2026

Tom Cruise isn’t prepared to bury Digger just yet, despite the movie’s disappointing box office opening. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026

The PCMark 10 tests were particularly disappointing, as these benchmarks gauge a system's general performance. — Marshall Honorof, PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1530, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for disappointing

• anointing
• appointing
• pinpointing
• jointing
• pointing