leave a lot to be desired

Idioms  

1. Also,. Be imperfect or unsatisfactory. For example, His account of the election leaves a lot to be desired. This usage can also be put in a more positive way, that is, leave nothing to be desired, meaning “to be perfectly satisfactory,” as in His account leaves nothing to be desired. [Late 1700s]

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Example Sentences

Voters ought to ask their representatives a simple question: For $1.45 billion, will Seattle get better streets or a hodgepodge of improvements that leave a lot to be desired?

From Seattle Times

The negative, she says, is that much of the wider media's coverage of AI can leave a lot to be desired.

From BBC

I live in hotels, and I can tell you that even the best hotel breakfasts leave a lot to be desired.

From Seattle Times

But the federal government’s requirements leave a lot to be desired, two education attorneys in the state said, and don’t reflect the ongoing difficulties that kids with disabilities and their families still face.

From Seattle Times

Maybe that’s why Ruth’s rebellion wasn’t against something but toward something: to be a better cook than her mother — even if, in Gwyn’s eyes, her toast and scrambled eggs leave a lot to be desired.

From Washington Post