unsatisfactory
[uhn-sat-is-fak-tuh-ree]
- not satisfactory; not satisfying or meeting one's demands; inadequate.
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Origin of unsatisfactory
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
distressing, unsuitable, regrettable, unacceptable, disappointing, deficient, mediocre, amiss, bad, damaged, disquieting, disturbing, lame, offensive, poor, rotten, second, thin, undesirable, unwelcomeExamples from the Web for unsatisfactory
Contemporary Examples
But even interrogating successful proposals leads to unsatisfactory reasoning.
Never once was a box checked indicating that his work was unsatisfactory or needed improvement.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News
December 9, 2014
Anyone with an unsatisfactory answer is held until the Nigerian military can deal with them the next morning.
I had not previously known one could get on, even in this unsatisfactory fashion, with so little brain.
A lot of the most important data in the gun debate is unsatisfactory and is out-of-date.
Historical Examples
Under these unsatisfactory conditions, the negotiations opened.
The Story of the Malakand Field ForceSir Winston S. Churchill
"You are a most unsatisfactory person," she said gravely after a few moments.
The Slave Of The LampHenry Seton Merriman
Unsatisfactory as the interview was, it yet gave me a little hope.
Wilfrid CumbermedeGeorge MacDonald
It was an unsatisfactory interview that Danny had with the Chief.
The Hammer of ThorCharles Willard Diffin
The replies were unsatisfactory, commonplace, sometimes ludicrous.
Mountain MeditationsL. Lind-af-Hageby
unsatisfactory
- not adequate or suitable; unacceptable
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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
Word Origin and History for unsatisfactory
adj.
1640s, from un- (1) "not" + satisfactory.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper