unfulfilled

adjective

un·​ful·​filled ˌən-fu̇(l)-ˈfild 

 also  -fə(l)-

: not fulfilled:

a

: not filled : unsatisfied, unmet

… vital unfulfilled needs of the nation …

—Harry Truman

b

: not carried out : not accomplished or finished

unfulfilled goals

unfulfilled shipments

c

: not converted into reality

an unfulfilled promise

d

: not having reached a point of satisfaction or happiness

… a family that includes a supportive yet equally unfulfilled wife …

—Matt Roush

Examples of unfulfilled in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some lawmakers had hoped that money for the ACP could have been included in the recent bipartisan spending deal intended to keep the government open, but those hopes were ultimately left unfulfilled. —Brian Fung, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024

For many South Africans, the heady promises of that democratic transition have largely been left unfulfilled. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 2 Mar. 2024

March 11-April 6, 2025 With her husband absent, matriarch Amanda — a southern belle stuck in her past glory days — tries to find a suitor for her shy daughter Laura and clashes with her son Tom, a poet who is unfulfilled by his breadwinning job at a warehouse. —The Indianapolis Star, 11 Apr. 2024

If someone is unhappy, unfulfilled, or stretched thin, a buyout can be a launching pad to a different job with a better work-life balance. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024

Unsecured debt — which can include rent, unfulfilled orders or wages due — is lower priority in bankruptcy law. —Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024

Acknowledge the promise was unfulfilled, genuinely apologize without making excuses and then outline and act on specific steps (including feedback) to remedy the issue. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

California is the biggest example of the unfulfilled promise of a legitimate cannabis market. —Martin Kaste, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, plenty of lawmakers and others are aware there is $1.8 billion sitting around potentially unspent and not appropriated at a time when $3 billion in requests from state agencies went unfulfilled in next year's budget just passed by the South Carolina House. —CBS News, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above