unsatisfactorily

adverb

Definition of unsatisfactorilynext
as in poorly
in an unsatisfactory way unsatisfactorily prepared entrées should be immediately returned to the kitchen and replaced with something more acceptable

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsatisfactorily
  1. poorly
  2. badly
  3. bad
Adverb
  • Owens not only lacked an undergraduate degree but did poorly in school, where she was described as a hopeless case.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The researchers are now incorporating F³ into autonomous drones designed to navigate cluttered and poorly lit environments.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • Then poachers kill his partner and child, leaving Norden badly wounded.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Now evicted from her West Wing corner office, with the president’s agenda in tatters, Wiles has learned that fealty to Trump almost always ends badly.
    — Chris Whipple, Vanity Fair, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of badly
Adverb
  • Another would be to coat your thumbs with a bad-tasting substance.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 30 July 2026
  • Of course, Hole himself isn’t averse to breaking bad, either.
    — Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of bad
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.

Browse Nearby Words

unsanitary
unsatisfactorily
unsatisfactoriness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unsatisfactorily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsatisfactorily. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of lissome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

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

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All