1
as in saddening
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2
as in inadequate
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Dissimilar Words
as in failing
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
they were disappointed by the outcome of the big game
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disappointing
Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
South American teams have got off to disappointing start to the World Cup, failing to produce a win in three games.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The Sharks started strong, but a bad line change and turnover in their own zone in the third period led to two goals against and a 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday, disappointing a sellout crowd of 17,435 eager to see their team start the stretch run on a positive note.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disappointing
Adjective
Iran opened its World Cup with a disappointing draw to a team ranked 65 places lower in FIFA’s rankings.
—Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
South American teams have got off to disappointing start to the World Cup, failing to produce a win in three games.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
Verb
With some Western Conference contenders disappointing at the deadline, the timing couldn’t be better.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The Sharks started strong, but a bad line change and turnover in their own zone in the third period led to two goals against and a 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday, disappointing a sellout crowd of 17,435 eager to see their team start the stretch run on a positive note.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disappointing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disappointing
Adjective
-
The result is a bonus both surprising and saddening.—
Bob Brody,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
-
The backlash from certain parts of the media has been extremely saddening, particularly given how hard John works to raise awareness and understanding.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Eligibility to live in the development is open to those who don’t own a home or who live in inadequate housing.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
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But Moreno said her rec centers have huge needs, citing the lack of a scoreboard at Montgomery-Waller and inadequate dugouts at Memorial’s ballpark.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Alejandro Moreno, the president of the PRI party that ruled Mexico for decades, criticized Sheinbaum’s administration for failing to protect local politicians.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
Eldridge homered for a third straight game, the latest being his fifth home run of the season, but San Francisco fell 5-1 to the Chicago Cubs on Friday evening at Oracle Park, the latest instance of this team failing to carry the momentum from a momentous moment.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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The Erika plot is one of the several dissatisfying threads in this episode.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 Nov. 2025
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Last season, the Bruins strung together three wins against Rutgers, Nebraska and Iowa – but that team resembled Chip Kelly’s decent-if-dissatisfying regime.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In addition to the UC San Diego report, a study at UC Berkeley recently found that at least 20% of first-semester calculus students who took a diagnostic exam between fall 2021 and fall 2023 were deficient.—
Jaweed Kaleem,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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Sometimes avocado trees can become deficient in certain types of minerals.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The reunion comes 15 years after the couple divorced amid rumors of a cheating scandal.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
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Here, Ruhian diversifies his skill set, killing people at a distance with a bow and arrow, which feels like cheating.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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However, increasing numbers of complaints paint a discouraging picture, especially given the cost of Traeger grills.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
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Siri’s walk-off single in the 10th gave the Angels a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night, saving the Angels from what would have been a discouraging loss on a night when Detmers dominated.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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That makes for a more compelling value proposition, useful in daily life, versus a more specialized machine with inferior performance.—
Matthew Buzzi,
PC Magazine,
14 June 2026
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People mock Americans for using the word because the rest of the world likes a chance to make the superpower feel inferior.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disappointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disappointing. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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