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Synonyms

unsatisfying

British  
/ ʌnˈsætɪsˌfaɪɪŋ /

adjective

  1. not fulfilling or satisfactory

    it was inherently unsatisfying work
"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

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.

The show's use of technology was "deeply unsatisfying and at points very frustrating" for City AM's Adam Bloodworth.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

Remember the unsatisfying finale to “The Sopranos”? Swelling crescendo ... then abrupt cut to black?

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2026

This addition is not derived naturally from the theory itself, which has long made it an unsatisfying solution.

From Science Daily • Jan. 11, 2026

One truthful yet unsatisfying response is that it depends on an individual’s expectations and needs — as well as their age.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 5, 2025

This conserved our energy and vastly increased our chances of getting up Everest, but I found it hugely unsatisfying.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.