dissatisfied

American  

[dis-sat-is-fahyd] / dɪsˈsæt ɪsˌfaɪd /

adjective

1. not satisfied or pleased; discontented.

2. showing dissatisfaction.

   a dissatisfied look.

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dissatisfied British  

/ dɪsˈsætɪsˌfaɪd /

adjective

1. having or showing dissatisfaction; discontented

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dissatisfiedness
  noun
• self-dissatisfied
  adjective
• dissatisfiedly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of dissatisfied

First recorded in 1665–75; dissatisfy + -ed ²

Explanation

If you're dissatisfied, you're not happy — you're annoyed and disgruntled. You probably don't enjoy eating out with your parents if they're always dissatisfied with the food they order. You might be dissatisfied with the final episode of your favorite TV show, or dissatisfied with your grades n German last semester. In either case, you're not pleased. A slightly different way to be dissatisfied is to be unconvinced: "She was dissatisfied with the answer he gave when she asked when he planned to pay back the money he owed her." Dissatisfied combines dis-, "not," and satisfied, from a Latin root, satisfacere, "do enough."

Example Sentences

The widespread pullback shows that companies are dissatisfied with the return on investment on AI.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

Park explained his decision to run in an interview with Salon, saying he reached out to Meng’s office following the arrest and was dissatisfied with their response.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

Still, Angelenos are far more dissatisfied with the direction of the city than they were in 1989, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

Merz's poll ratings have plummeted -- a survey this week by Forsa showed only 14 percent were satisfied with him, against 84 percent who were dissatisfied.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

But it dissatisfied me when I had finished it; so, casting it aside, I tried to say the same thing in yet another way in Long Black Song.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• discontented