Definition of unsatisfactorynext
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard an unsatisfactory first attempt at building a birdhouse

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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 unsatisfactory Meta's attempt to resolve the bloc’s antitrust investigation of WhatsApp by charging third-party AI companies for access is unsatisfactory, the European Commission said Wednesday. ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026 Ultimately, the merger with Compaq did not live up to expectations, and after years of unsatisfactory earnings reports the HP board of directors demanded chair and CEO Carly Fiorina step down, a move that jumpstarted shares in HP stock. Chris Anderson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 In their eyes, the global economy is to blame for their unsatisfactory job prospects, feminism is to blame for their failures with women, minority rights are forcing them to relinquish their privilege as straight men, and so on. Miriam Eve Mora, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026 But the results were unsatisfactory. Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsatisfactory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsatisfactory
Adjective
  • Advertisement If something comes back at unacceptable levels, filtering is the next step—and the right filter depends on what's in your water.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 3 June 2026
  • Concern, because the violence and chaos in Hyde Park and elsewhere over the Memorial Day weekend are dangerous and unacceptable.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
Adjective
  • Common travel regrets stem from preventable issues like poor planning, budget problems, and choosing the wrong companions.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 3 June 2026
  • O’Farrell’s inclination for narratives propelled by brutal coincidence and fatally poor timing tenders a Hardy-esque vision of the world, one that emphasizes the rigid, often cruel limits of an individual’s jurisdiction over the course of their life.
    Rachel Vorona Cote, Vulture, 2 June 2026
Adjective
  • Black and white, right and wrong, cut and dried.
    Erika Ettin, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
  • The Angels brought a one-run lead into the seventh inning, and then just about everything went wrong in a seven-run inning that sent them to an 8-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
    Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
Adjective
  • The Browns are clearly in rebuild mode, with 2026 expected to be a lame-duck season at quarterback with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders vying for the starting job for a season before the team uses the 2027 draft to select its latest quarterback of the future.
    Jim Reineking, USA Today, 2 June 2026
  • Initially blocked by recalcitrant Democratic members of the House, the legislation was reintroduced during a lame-duck session following the 2024 election.
    Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Adjective
  • But that’s made even worse by the fact that a significant portion of these observational studies did not even have a comparison group.
    Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
  • The views over the city aren’t bad either.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026
Adjective
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Unsatisfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsatisfactory. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.

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