disappointing 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of disappointingnext
1
as in saddening

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in inadequate

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

disappointing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of disappoint
as in failing
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of they were disappointed by the outcome of the big game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disappointing
Adjective
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
Verb
He was devastated, not only over the prospect of missing the game, but disappointing his son. — Juliana Kim, NPR, 26 June 2026 Months later, Saka was disappointing away to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League and replaced by Madueke on the hour mark. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for disappointing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disappointing
  1. saddening
  2. inadequate
  3. failing
  4. dissatisfying
  5. deficient
  6. cheating
  7. discouraging
  8. inferior
Adjective
  • The result is a bonus both surprising and saddening.
    — Bob Brody, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
  • The backlash from certain parts of the media has been extremely saddening, particularly given how hard John works to raise awareness and understanding.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Definition of saddening
Adjective
  • The Civil Aeronautics Board attributed the accident to inadequate maintenance that contributed to the engine failure and to the captain’s handling of the aircraft after power was lost.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
  • Coffee that interferes with sleep may indirectly damage cardiovascular health, since inadequate sleep can adversely affect blood pressure, appetite, glucose regulation and overall well-being.
    — Robert Glatter, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of inadequate
Verb
  • However, during the 13 weeks the request was under review, her name appeared weekly on a list of employees flagged for failing to follow the return-to-work policy, according to her lawsuit.
    — Chase Jordan July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
  • The witness said Richardson’s vehicle was failing to stay in the proper lane and was getting close to a concrete median, according to the affidavit.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026
Definition of failing
Adjective
  • The Erika plot is one of the several dissatisfying threads in this episode.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
  • Last season, the Bruins strung together three wins against Rutgers, Nebraska and Iowa – but that team resembled Chip Kelly’s decent-if-dissatisfying regime.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of dissatisfying
Adjective
  • Alphabet, on the other hand, almost seemed to not care about the change from being cash-flow dominant to cash-flow deficient.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The bottom line for now is that oysters carry compounds with real biological plausibility for supporting testosterone production, particularly in people who are zinc-deficient.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of deficient
Verb
  • But after he was accused of cheating, the school suspended him for a year and gave him an F in the course Sourcing and Managing Funds.
    — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
  • These two, like the cheating wife stiffing her babysitter, got too caught up in the pursuit of romance, allegedly.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of cheating
Adjective
  • Despite the discouraging landscape, recruiters and career experts say there are still ways for recent graduates to stand out.
    — Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 28 July 2026
  • Abigail Simon-Hart is all too familiar with these discouraging trends.
    — Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 25 July 2026
Definition of discouraging
Adjective
  • Distillers pushed for federal oversight to distinguish authentic whiskey from inferior products.
    — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Brain MRIs also found an increase in the surface area of the inferior frontal gyrus in the MIND diet group.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
Definition of inferior

Browse Nearby Words

disappointed
disappointing
disappointment
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disappointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disappointing. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on disappointing

Nglish: Translation of disappointing for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All