dissatisfied
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
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
For a thrilling moment, the movie is a platonic rom-com about two dissatisfied artists coming together from opposite directions: Danny crumpling under mass scrutiny, Rick weary of obscurity.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
Consumers are dissatisfied with high price levels for essentials, like eggs at $4.50, rather than just the inflation rate.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Labour lawmaker Catherine West said she could try to trigger a leadership contest if she feels dissatisfied after his speech.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
Maybe it was seeing you as a baby, how you looked so much like me, and this made me dissatisfied with my life.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
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.
