dissatisfied
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Busby Berkeley was the show’s dance director, but Lew Fields, the director, was dissatisfied with Berkeley’s work.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
But Pratt needs to realize that Angelenos don’t want the city to be torn down, as dissatisfied as they may be.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
When I asked her about the protests, she replied: "There were people protesting who were dissatisfied with the economic situation, and their protest was legitimate."
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026
Career coaches suggest strategies for dissatisfied workers, including identifying specific dislikes and focusing on a larger purpose.
From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026
Kappe had been impressed with Dasch, and when he heard Dasch was dissatisfied with his job at the listening post less than six months later, he called him back to his office in November 1941.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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.
