as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
this report is completely dissatisfactory on several counts
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Recent Examples of dissatisfactory
This creates a dissatisfactory customer experience for the 90% of people stopped who actually paid for their items.
—
Guy Yehiav, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
Set primarily in the South, Plattner’s vignettes provide intimate glimpses into a series of singular events that, when strung together, paint a larger picture of the melancholic and frequently dissatisfactory state of existing in the modern world.
—Leah Tyler, ajc, 30 May 2022
In ThedaCare’s case, an attorney described dissatisfactory management and positions in which employees had been chronically underpaid.
—Molly Osberg, The New Republic, 25 Jan. 2022
Inter Miami fell to CF Montreal 2-0 in their third game at DRV PNK Stadium this season thanks to a first-half performance coach Phil Neville said was dissatisfactory.
—Khobi Price, sun-sentinel.com, 13 May 2021
Guy Yehiav, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
Set primarily in the South, Plattner’s vignettes provide intimate glimpses into a series of singular events that, when strung together, paint a larger picture of the melancholic and frequently dissatisfactory state of existing in the modern world.
—Leah Tyler, ajc, 30 May 2022
In ThedaCare’s case, an attorney described dissatisfactory management and positions in which employees had been chronically underpaid.
—Molly Osberg, The New Republic, 25 Jan. 2022
Inter Miami fell to CF Montreal 2-0 in their third game at DRV PNK Stadium this season thanks to a first-half performance coach Phil Neville said was dissatisfactory.
—Khobi Price, sun-sentinel.com, 13 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissatisfactory
Adjective
-
Anti-American and antisemitic rhetoric should be categorically unacceptable in any venue.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
-
When direct conflict carries unacceptable escalation risk, sustained pressure below the threshold of force offers states a way to bend the will of a rival nation without triggering open war.—
Andrew Latham,
The Conversation,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The helpful staff won’t steer you wrong.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
-
An officer monitoring a vehicle X-ray machine did not detect anything wrong with the vehicle, but another officer doing a physical inspection spotted the woman’s foot, according to the complaint.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Through its clear imagery, operators can navigate safely and assess fire scenes even with poor visibility.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
-
An injection like this has a clear advantage over daily prevention pills in poorer countries, where patients – particularly young women – might struggle to access clinics or feel stigmatised for seeking treatment.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Saying the house is like a character too sounds a bit lame.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
That huge war chest would be especially remarkable amassed by a lame-duck president.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Knicks were held to less than 100 points for only the seventh time and had their fourth-worst three-point shooting performance of the season, going eight for 34.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The Pacers have the second-worst record in the NBA, 1 ½ games better than Sacramento.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The city’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, or DOTI, was seen as most deficient among operators and brokers.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Researchers say further studies are needed to determine whether the improvements in muscle power translate into fewer falls, and whether frailer or protein-deficient seniors might see greater benefits.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But for clear-air turbulence pilots still rely on reports from other pilots who have already passed through it—an unsatisfactory arrangement for both parties.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Jayapal gave me a long, tight hug, and offered a kind though unsatisfactory response.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And as someone who has done this a long time, Musselman understands that the responsibility for the team’s disastrous stretch run ultimately falls squarely on his shoulders.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Noem’s dissmissal comes after she was berated by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over a series of disastrous blunders by her department, including the killings of two American citizens by border patrol agents in Minneapolis and apparent attempts by DHS to stifle investigations into the shootings.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dissatisfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissatisfactory. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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