unsatisfactory
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unsatisfactory
First recorded in 1630–40; un- 1 + satisfactory
Explanation
Baking a cake without following the recipe is likely to lead to an unsatisfactory outcome; the cake will likely be disappointing because it doesn't meet your expectations. The word unsatisfactory is used to describe something that fails to meet the desired standards. Whether it's a school project, a meal at a restaurant, or a customer service experience, if it doesn’t live up to what you hoped for, it's considered unsatisfactory. This term often conveys disappointment and the need for improvement. For example, if a test score is unsatisfactory, it means the grade is below what is acceptable or needed.
Vocabulary lists containing unsatisfactory
Wrong
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Lacking
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The company then introduced an access fee -- a remedy the EU rejected in April as unsatisfactory.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Customer-service operations still rely heavily on underpaid and poorly trained humans, leading to general dissatisfaction across all service metrics, including wait times and repeat calls, with consumers increasingly resorting to equally unsatisfactory self-service alternatives.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
She pitched it to Lichtenberg and his now-manager at Fortune, Ashley Lutz, who experimented with the fledgling technology, but the initial results were unsatisfactory and the test was discontinued.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
While the Snicko controversy is unsatisfactory for a series of this magnitude, it pales in comparison to the substandard nature of England's performance.
From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025
The smooth, cool surface beneath his fingers was unsatisfactory.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
