unfulfilled

adjective

un·​ful·​filled ˌən-fu̇(l)-ˈfild 

also -fə(l)-

: not fulfilled:

a

: not filled : unsatisfied, unmet

… vital unfulfilled needs of the nation …

—Harry S. Truman

b

: not carried out : not accomplished or finished

unfulfilled goals

unfulfilled shipments

c

: not converted into reality

an unfulfilled promise

d

: not having reached a point of satisfaction or happiness

… a family that includes a supportive yet equally unfulfilled wife …

—Matt Roush

Examples of unfulfilled in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even ahead of his hour-long speech in the Capitol, Assembly Republicans charged that the governor’s eight-year term culminated in unfulfilled efforts to lower the cost of living for California families. —Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026

The decision ends McDaniel’s four-year tenure in Miami, a period defined by soaring expectations that ultimately went unfulfilled. —Alanis Thames, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026

Or will it be added to the list of the unfulfilled expectations that Jones has laid out in the past year — and for the last three decades of the team’s playoff success drought. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Jan. 2026

David Lean's intimate drama follows an unfulfilled married woman (Celia Johnson) who meets a charming married doctor (Trevor Howard) and connects instantly. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unfulfilled

• backfilled
• distilled
• fulfilled
• infilled
• instilled
• rebuild
• refilled
• unfilled
• unskilled
• untilled
• billed
• build