disappointing 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of disappointingnext
1
as in saddening

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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
One of the first passenger tires tested turned in a disappointing wet-weather braking result. — Michael Febbo, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026 Notably, the viewing numbers for its podcasts apparently were disappointing enough that Netflix didn’t break out podcast titles in its first-half 2026 viewing report. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
Shares of the electric vehicle maker plunged 15% on Thursday after disappointing quarterly earnings. — Sean Conlon,joseph Wilkins,justina Lee,lee Ying Shan,fred Imbert, CNBC, 23 July 2026 Wilder kept his diagnosis private from the public, in hopes of not disappointing his. — Niya Doyle, PEOPLE, 19 July 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
  • Actor Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer at 43, shocking and saddening fans.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The result is a bonus both surprising and saddening.
    — Bob Brody, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
Definition of saddening
Adjective
  • Fascism and communism are political systems designed to benefit society’s most inadequate and corrupt.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026
  • An independent monitor overseeing Saint Francis Hospital found that a patient died in January, the third patient death related to inadequate staffing in the hospital in the past year.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of inadequate
Verb
  • David, a retired executive whose memory is failing, is on a flight to Europe with his assistant, Cody.
    — Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • By his standards, the captain had a slow start to the season, failing to score in the first three league games.
    — Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 9 Sep. 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
  • Yet researchers have found that nearly a third of adults in the United States are iron deficient.
    — Anahad O’Connor, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In a deficient area, the exception is exposed, and to last, the exception must be exceptional somewhere else.
    — Zach Berman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of deficient
Verb
  • Written and rendered by dudes who longed for unlimited success, these are songs about cheating and being cheated on and trying but failing to be content, or love as lived amid capitalist indulgence.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In this case, the reward was solving the ExploitGym questions and the hacking was literally hacking—cheating on the test and then hacking into Hugging Face in an effort to cover up the cheating (more on that below).
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheating
Adjective
  • His fellow scientists are neither comforting nor discouraging.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Then a rough 2025, a crowded rotation in 2026 and a discouraging bullpen stint led Pfaadt back to Reno.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of discouraging
Adjective
  • Far from inferior, these trees, which can look like pines with long droopy needles and reddish-orange flowers, host a large diversity of bugs beyond Swiftiephylys, creating a popular hangout for the six-legged beasts.
    — Brad Balukjian, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Gwyn’s, however, who Richard considers to be his inferior, has jettisoned into success and is in the running for a huge literary prize.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of inferior

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Cite this Entry

“Disappointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disappointing. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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