dissatisfying 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in disappointing

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in insufficient

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

dissatisfying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dissatisfy
1
as in failing
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of a restaurant serving portions that will not dissatisfy even the heartiest eater

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in displeasing
to make discontented an administrative assistant dissatisfied by her meager paycheck

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 dissatisfying
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
Verb
His 2-3 playoff record came after a long dissatisfying postseason stretch from Chan Gailey (0-2), Bill Parcells (0-2), Phillips (1-2) and before McCarthy (1-3). — Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissatisfying
  1. disappointing
  2. insufficient
  3. displeasing
  4. saddening
  5. poor
  6. annoying
  7. cheerless
  8. short
Adjective
  • The athlete should be prioritized With the punishment of these young athletes on the line, the reasoning voting members of the SEC provided during Meredith’s hearing was disappointing.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026
  • After a disappointing, 2-1 World Cup L to England Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium, the Manchester City superstar and his Norwegian teammates shook it off and pivoted into party mode.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
Definition of disappointing
Adjective
  • Traditional governance is insufficient; boards must adopt real-time resilience.
    — Anjana Susarla, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • The Jackson County Election Board initially verified about 745 signatures, which was insufficient to trigger a recall election.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026
Definition of insufficient
Verb
  • But many Spotify users voiced displeasure at the change-up, with some complaining that the disco ball looked pixelated on a small phone screen and, generally, was visually displeasing.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 12 June 2026
Definition of displeasing
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
  • Prolonged exposure to heat can lead to insufficient or poor sleep, compromising the immune system, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease and diminishing cognitive performance.
    — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
  • On top of this, subterranean drip systems often clog with mineral deposits, sediment, and algae, which Nad warns may eventually require repairs or replacement of portions of the system, particularly in areas with hard water or poor filtration.
    — Kamron Sanders, The Spruce, 13 July 2026
Definition of poor
Verb
  • Weird; annoying even – but the floaters did not seem urgent.
    — Peter Ubel, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
  • My biggest concern about adding a tracking device around Mya’s neck was annoying her or creating disruption.
    — Tyler Hayes, PC Magazine, 13 May 2026
Definition of annoying
Adjective
  • The storm let up before daybreak, but the morning was gray and cheerless with a cold wind.
    — Elwyn "Bud" Myers, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Gomez gestured across the street toward 100 Centre Street—the criminal courthouse, a cheerless Art Deco building the color of cinder blocks.
    — Sarah Lustbader, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of cheerless
Adjective
  • Argentina, on the shorter side physically, have relied on occupying the middle of the box and targeting the near post from either side.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Despite the short appearance, Caglianone was crowned as a future superstar and someone to watch moving forward.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
Definition of short

Browse Nearby Words

dissatisfy
dissatisfying
dissect
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dissatisfying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissatisfying. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dissatisfying

Nglish: Translation of dissatisfying 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of yaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All