unfulfilling

adjective

un·​ful·​fill·​ing ˌən-fu̇(l)-ˈfi-liŋ 

also -fə(l)-

: not providing happiness or satisfaction : not fulfilling

an unfulfilling job/relationship

Examples of unfulfilling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The subgenre is often marked by mental health struggles, self-destructive behavior, inner turmoil, unfulfilling or otherwise lacking relationships and an overall sense of melancholy. —Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025

The idea is to free people from those elements of factory work that are physically taxing, unfulfilling, and, well, robotic, so workers can use their brains and take pride in their specialized skills. —IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2025

These two energies together can help you to move forward from a past that felt unfulfilling into a future that’s bright and dynamic. —Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025

With so many eager to escape unfulfilling careers, strategic tools like ChatGPT prompts have become increasingly helpful to jump start career transitions. —Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unfulfilling

• backfilling
• distilling
• fulfilling
• infilling
• instilling
• refilling
• sawmilling
• unwilling
• billing
• chilling
• drilling
• filling