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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

But continuing to satisfy artificial demand for chips could also magnify the ultimate pain for Nvidia should demand among end users eventually stall.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026

Osario and the school’s athletic director Dion Coley invited her to apply to be a voluntary coach to satisfy any concerns about her presence on the football sidelines.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026

"Even without doing the full calculation, we know that space-time needs to behave in a certain way, that it needs to satisfy those constraints."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026

Chip companies across the board can’t satisfy all the demand for artificial-intelligence chips, but the issues might be especially pronounced at Intel.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

I took the cap from her, put it on to satisfy her, and then whipped it off as soon as she shut the door.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

The addition of the turbo satisfies the need for the engines to be road-relevant, as well as increasing efficiency and requiring less fuel than a pure naturally aspirated engine.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

Zelensky is trying to strike a solution that satisfies all sides to avoid divisions in the face of the ongoing invasion.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

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

“I know they’re thinking very, very seriously about how to manage the ticket activity so that it satisfies everybody,” Sykes said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026

It takes you to a dark place, but, man, it satisfies a thirst.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

I’m not sure your sister will be satisfied with 30% if she knows more persuasion will get her to 50%.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 13, 2026

The hunger is only partly satisfied by existing capital-gains taxes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026

“You don’t see people so relaxed and so satisfied as when they’re sitting in front of a delicious plate of food that’s been prepared by someone’s loving hands,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

Panel members decided that they were "not satisfied that Mr Venables was suitable for release".

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026

Mrs. Elsinore “Incognito” Penworthy gave a satisfied smile and adjusted her —that is to say, his—wig.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

I resolved to find an apple with an even more satisfying bite than the Honeycrisp.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2026

Pollock was denied his third, but it was one of the few things his side missed out on during a most satisfying outing.

From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2026

This is the sort of thing I love making when I want something fresh, bright and satisfying without spending much time at the stove.

From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026

Asked which is more satisfying, a touchdown or an interception, she adamantly chose the latter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026

To this day, there’s nothing more satisfying to Papi than stomping Manny’s team in a friendly game of fútbol.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

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