as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard this report is completely dissatisfactory on several counts

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dissatisfactory Life Decisions Can Change Decisions taken in the shadow of childhood experiences may result in dissatisfactory lives. Fatih Elibol, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2023 Set primarily in the South, Plattner’s vignettes provide intimate glimpses into a series of singular events that, when strung together, paint a larger picture of the melancholic and frequently dissatisfactory state of existing in the modern world. Leah Tyler, ajc, 30 May 2022 In ThedaCare’s case, an attorney described dissatisfactory management and positions in which employees had been chronically underpaid. Molly Osberg, The New Republic, 25 Jan. 2022 Inter Miami fell to CF Montreal 2-0 in their third game at DRV PNK Stadium this season thanks to a first-half performance coach Phil Neville said was dissatisfactory. Khobi Price, sun-sentinel.com, 13 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissatisfactory
Adjective
  • Restaurants rated unacceptable must close to fix their issues and require reinspection prior to reopening.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Americans heading into the 2026 and 2028 elections with a less secure system than in 2020 or 2024 is an unacceptable and avoidable step backward.
    Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In the case of the Ruscha photographs, computer vision was simply wrong.
    Sonja Drimmer, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
  • It’s been more than two years since a fiery derailment in rural Ohio made Norfolk Southern and the village of East Palestine household names for all the wrong reasons.
    Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This can manifest in poor financial behaviors like excessive credit card debt, minimal savings, or impulsive investment decisions.
    Shane Enete, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
  • Long hours spent sitting at a desk, driving or looking at screens promote poor posture, where the upper back rounds forward, compressing the rib cage and restricting movement.
    Dana Santas, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.
    Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
  • My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.
    Tim Neville, Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
  • While instant coffee had a bad rap, the powdered drink has become popular again with new brands and technology.
    Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The most common reason a cruise ship skips a port is bad weather.
    David Nikel, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Kraken was also accused of having deficient internal controls and record keeping.
    Jonathan Stempel, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Those studies show that supplementing with vitamin A in people who are deficient can lead to milder infections with diseases like measles.
    Alice Park, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Some grantees interviewed by The Times feared that impolitic or unsatisfactory answers could lead to cancellation of funding.
    Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2025
  • The Gen Z college graduates hired this year have been unsatisfactory, say 75% of employers.
    Mark C. Perna, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • No punishment for shooting a disastrous 24 percent from 3, the team’s worst perimeter performance since its 6-for-23 effort from deep against St. John’s on Feb. 23.
    Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Or how about their disastrous appearance on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here?
    EW Staff, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dissatisfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissatisfactory. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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