unsatisfactory

adjective

un·​sat·​is·​fac·​to·​ry ˌən-ˌsa-təs-ˈfak-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce unsatisfactory (audio)
: not satisfactory
unsatisfactorily adverb
unsatisfactoriness noun

Examples of unsatisfactory in a Sentence

He was fired for unsatisfactory performance. an unsatisfactory first attempt at building a birdhouse
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In addition, continuing to run software on mature LTS releases is unsatisfactory for the customer. Alexander Belokrylov, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Getting rid of deadweight and dealing with unsatisfactory situations will lighten your burden and make room for investing more time in yourself and what brings you joy. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2024 McAlister seized on this, asking Healey if this meant Boeing's proposal should really be considered unsatisfactory. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 24 Sep. 2024 Three-quarters of the companies surveyed said some or all of their recent graduate hires were unsatisfactory in some way. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unsatisfactory 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1650, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsatisfactory was circa 1650

Dictionary Entries Near unsatisfactory

Cite this Entry

“Unsatisfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsatisfactory. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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