Synonyms

satisfy

American

[sat-is-fahy] / ˈsæt ɪsˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

to fulfill the desires, expectations, needs, or demands of (a person, the mind, etc.); give full contentment to.

The hearty meal satisfied him.

Synonyms:

please, pacify, appease, gratify
to put an end to (a desire, want, need, etc.) by sufficient or ample provision.

The hearty meal satisfied his hunger.
to give assurance to; convince.

to satisfy oneself by investigation.

Synonyms:

persuade
to answer sufficiently, as an objection.
to solve or dispel, as a doubt.
to discharge fully (a debt, obligation, etc.).
to make reparation to or for.

to satisfy an offended person; to satisfy a wrong.
to pay (a creditor).
Mathematics.
1. to fulfill the requirements or conditions of.
  
  to satisfy a theorem.
2. (of a value of an unknown) to change (an equation) into an identity when substituted for the unknown: x = 2 satisfies 3 x = 6.

verb (used without object)

to give satisfaction.

satisfy British

/ ˈsætɪsˌfaɪ /

verb

(also intr) to fulfil the desires or needs of (a person)
to provide amply for (a need or desire)
to relieve of doubt; convince
to dispel (a doubt)
to make reparation to or for
to discharge or pay off (a debt) to (a creditor)
to fulfil the requirements of; comply with

you must satisfy the terms of your lease
maths logic to fulfil the conditions of (a theorem, assumption, etc); to yield a truth by substitution of the given value

x = 3 satisfies x² – 4x + 3 = 0

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

Satisfy, content refer to meeting one's desires or wishes. To satisfy is to meet to the full one's wants, expectations, etc.: to satisfy a desire to travel. To content is to give enough to keep one from being disposed to find fault or complain: to content oneself with a moderate meal.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of satisfy

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English satisfien, from Middle French satisfier, from unattested Vulgar Latin satisficāre (for Latin satisfacere “to do enough”; see satisfaction); see -fy

Explanation

To satisfy is to fulfill or meet a want, need, requirement, or expectation. A brilliant paper on Edgar Allan Poe might satisfy a literature class requirement, and a candy bar might satisfy a craving for chocolate. Since there are so many things we need and want, there are lots of ways to satisfy us. Eating a sandwich will satisfy your hunger. Overhearing a conversation could satisfy your curiosity. Going to school should satisfy your desire for knowledge. In college, you'll have to take certain classes to satisfy requirements of your degree. The word comes from the Latin satisfacere, which basically means “do enough.”

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing satisfy

Power Suffix: -fy

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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.

See Examples For:

satisfy satisfies satisfied satisfying

It means the unknown absorber must either be extremely effective at absorbing light, exist at a very high concentration inside the droplets, or satisfy both conditions.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

"When the number finally arrived, it was larger than the original commitment but still too small to satisfy a market already choking on duration."

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

Beyond these, there are plenty more treasures to satisfy Rockwell fans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

The high multiple has made it susceptible to volatility, as any headline or development can threaten to satisfy a market that has priced the shares to perfection.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

The rebel inside her was hard to satisfy, and she found it difficult to settle.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Gregg, Mandery writes, “created the bedrock principles of modern death penalty jurisprudence: that a non-arbitrary death penalty satisfies the Constitution and that the requirement of non-arbitrariness could be satisfied by Georgia’s approach.”

From Slate ● Jun. 8, 2026

The businesses say only when “the material satisfies rigid and arbitrary regulatory criteria set by the state” are they able to inform consumers their packaging is recyclable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026

"The decision satisfies me with regard to the violation of my private life," he told the BBC.

From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2026

Crucially, this tax-advantaged strategy satisfies your required minimum distributions without increasing your adjusted gross income.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 12, 2026

It satisfies the mathematician's strict requirement of logical rigor.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Even if you were somewhat lonely or less satisfied with your past relationships, it’s not too late to find more comradeship and support in retirement.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

It cannot result in a conviction, but if the court is not satisfied that the accused committed the acts alleged, then he/she will be acquitted.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Cregger said he knows the "Resident Evil" fan base might not be totally satisfied with the lack of characters or details from the games themselves, but he stayed true to his vision.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

But Venable wasn’t satisfied with spending the rest of his life poring over spreadsheets and analytical models.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Grandmother said that if a lion or a leopard tasted someone’s tears, it would never be satisfied until it got the whole person.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

With these three ingredients in place, the odds of a satisfying retirement soar, he says.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

Their entire purpose is to make things taste deeper, richer and more satisfying, and on a Monday night I am happy to let them do their jobs.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

The pattern of this day was entirely predictable from the moment Root won the toss and there were times in the early going when the action was neither elite sport nor satisfying entertainment.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

But there is a satisfying specificity to the humor, especially as involves Asian American culture, gay life, New York City and New York City gay Asian American life, which is not overexplained.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

On leaving home I was able to fabricate a new and far more satisfying history, frill of striking, simplistic environmental influences; a colorful past, easily accessible to strangers.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023