1
as in saddening
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2
as in inadequate
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Dissimilar Words
as in failing
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
they were disappointed by the outcome of the big game
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Recent Examples of disappointing
Tim Casey, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
More than two months into the season the Red Sox still rank among MLB’s most disappointing clubs, and a wholesale staff purge has done little to change the team’s fortunes.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The Sharks started strong, but a bad line change and turnover in their own zone in the third period led to two goals against and a 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday, disappointing a sellout crowd of 17,435 eager to see their team start the stretch run on a positive note.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disappointing
Adjective
Once the 2000s rolled around, though, the Knicks were among the league’s most disappointing franchises, struggling on and off the court.
—Tim Casey, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
More than two months into the season the Red Sox still rank among MLB’s most disappointing clubs, and a wholesale staff purge has done little to change the team’s fortunes.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
Verb
With some Western Conference contenders disappointing at the deadline, the timing couldn’t be better.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The Sharks started strong, but a bad line change and turnover in their own zone in the third period led to two goals against and a 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday, disappointing a sellout crowd of 17,435 eager to see their team start the stretch run on a positive note.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disappointing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disappointing
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
Adjective
-
After eighteen months of crisis that saw historic urban fires, harassment by federal immigration authorities, and the generalized anxiety that attends a place where rents are high and services low, public transit inadequate and gas prices insane, the city’s vitality is flagging.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
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In another case, a federal lawsuit filed in April 2026 in Texas also targeted an energy drink company over allegations that inadequate warning labels contributed to a teenager’s October 2025 death, raising broader questions about marketing and caffeine safety in products aimed at younger consumers.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Following an on-site inspection in November 2020, the South Coast AQMD cited GKN Aerospace in 2021 for failing to maintain required emission records for volatile organic compounds, which are gases emitted from paints, coatings and solvents.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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But, following a string of disappointing national-team performances, including failing to qualify for the 1958 World Cup and shocking losses to both the Soviet Union and North Korea at the 1966 edition, the league reinstated the ban.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Erika plot is one of the several dissatisfying threads in this episode.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 Nov. 2025
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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
Adjective
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That’s what health experts now advise, because statistics reveal the sorry fact that 95% of people are deficient in this essential dietary food.—
Margaux Anbouba,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
-
Prices of crude oil, a key resource for energy-deficient Europe, slipped and were on track for their first weekly drop in two months.—
Jay Ganglani,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Greg de la Garza, Miami The Republican Party of Florida is cheating and getting away with it.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
30 May 2026
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In the course of reality TV’s 20-some-odd years golden era, a cheating scandal is almost as certain as a public screaming match in an unsuspecting local restaurant.—
Alexandra Hildreth,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
This week marked a discouraging milestone for American motorists.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
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In another discouraging signal, price increases accelerated by more in April than economists expected even after excluding gasoline and food costs.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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Learning how to be the favorite, who plays under the pressure of expectation, instead of how to be the underdog, who plays with the freedom of the unexpected, can make plenty of players vulnerable against an inferior foe at the business end of a tournament.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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This has encouraged debates on the extent to which metajournalism is different from—or even inferior to—existing practices of journalism.—
Steve Paulussen,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disappointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disappointing. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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