unsatisfactory

[ uhn-sat-is-fak-tuh-ree ]

/ ˌʌn sæt ɪsˈfæk tə ri /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unsatisfactory ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not satisfactory; not satisfying or meeting one's demands; inadequate.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

unsaleable, unsalted, unsanctioned, unsanitary, unsatiable, unsatisfactory, unsatisfied, unsatisfying, unsaturated, unsaturated compound, unsaturated fat

Origin of unsatisfactory

First recorded in 1630–40; un-¹ + satisfactory

SYNONYMS FOR unsatisfactory

disappointing, insufficient.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unsatisfactory ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsun·sat·is·fac·to·ri·ly, adverbun·sat·is·fac·to·ri·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unsatisfactory

But even interrogating successful proposals leads to unsatisfactory reasoning.
Public Marriage Proposals Must Die|Tauriq Moosa|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Anyone with an unsatisfactory answer is held until the Nigerian military can deal with them the next morning.
Nigeria’s Do-It-Yourself Boko Haram Busters|Nina Strochlic|May 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I had not previously known one could get on, even in this unsatisfactory fashion, with so little brain.
5 War Books You May Not Have in Your Library|Jake Tapper|November 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

A lot of the most important data in the gun debate is unsatisfactory and is out-of-date.
Are Gun Accidents 'Very Rare'?|David Frum|February 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Bella had to leave her in this unsatisfactory condition, as there was no chance of taking her home to Miss Ankers' cottage.
The Solitary Farm|Fergus Hume
No; I was aware that he had gone to Russia, but not that he had received an unsatisfactory discharge, whatever the word is.
Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
I consider the whole affair as most unsatisfactory, even regarding Mr. Wilson as a trader.
A Modern Buccaneer|Rolf Boldrewood
Though the condition of the navy was unsatisfactory, the sea-power of Great Britain was an important factor in European politics.
The Political History of England - Vol. X.|William Hunt
From a period long anterior to the commencement of the movement, the position of Europeans in China was most unsatisfactory.
Ti-Ping Tien-Kwoh|Augustus F. Lindley

British Dictionary definitions for unsatisfactory

unsatisfactory

/ (ˌʌnsætɪsˈfæktərɪ, -trɪ) /

adjective

not adequate or suitable; unacceptable

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

unsatisfactory

adj.

1640s, from un- (1) "not" + satisfactory.