leave much to be desired

idiom

variants or leave a lot to be desired or leave a great deal to be desired
used to say that something is not very good at all or is not close to being good enough
Your work leaves much to be desired.
Although her education left a great deal to be desired, she was an extremely intelligent person.
The working conditions here leave a lot to be desired.

Examples of leave much to be desired in a Sentence

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In This Article Our Top Picks Reviews The Bottom Line Our Testing Process More To Consider Tips for Choosing Questions and Answers Why Trust Southern Living Cleaning tile floors using a bucket, mop, and elbow grease may be character-building, but the results often leave much to be desired. Maria Conti, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2025 In reality, neither experience is inherently easier or better; rather, they’re both shaped by societal structures that leave much to be desired for everyone. Mark Travers, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024

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“Leave much to be desired.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leave%20much%20to%20be%20desired. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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