unsatisfactory

adjective

un·​sat·​is·​fac·​to·​ry ˌən-ˌsa-təs-ˈfak-t(ə-)rē 

: not satisfactory

unsatisfactorily

ˌən-ˌsa-təs-ˈfak-t(ə-)rə-lē 

adverb

unsatisfactoriness

ˌən-ˌsa-təs-ˈfak-t(ə-)rē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of unsatisfactory

• unacceptable
• poor
• wrong
• lame
• bad
• deficient

Examples of unsatisfactory in a Sentence

He was fired for unsatisfactory performance.

an unsatisfactory first attempt at building a birdhouse

Recent Examples on the Web

Because when the status quo in sub-Saharan Africa is so unsatisfactory—with substandard education, healthcare, security, and so on—these tend to be the focus of domestic resources. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 30 Oct. 2025

While some users report strong performance on Trustpilot, others cite installation delays, outages or unsatisfactory support. —Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025

Venture capital scored the lowest net sentiment, with 33% of respondents reporting unsatisfactory returns. —Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025

Russell Miller, a spokesperson for the labor union, referred Bay Area News Group to statements on its website that call Kaiser’s pay offer unsatisfactory because of historic, post-pandemic inflation that drove up living costs for workers. —Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1650, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unsatisfactory

• factory
• manufactory
• olfactory
• refractory