as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard an unsatisfactory first attempt at building a birdhouse

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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 unsatisfactory The response was unsatisfactory for Senator James Lankford (R-Ok.), who spoke on behalf of companies that shifted sourcing strategies during Trump’s first term in office. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 8 Apr. 2025 Windows 11 is still an appalling tablet OS with a crippling lack of touch-friendly apps, and the stylus has an irritating input lag that makes scribbling on screen unsatisfactory. Barry Collins, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024 The findings are available to the public at cdc.gov, with a score of 86 and above deemed satisfactory and anything under considered unsatisfactory. Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025 Co-developed by Toyota, the Subaru EV had ho-hum looks, average acceleration, just acceptable range and unsatisfactory charging infrastructure. Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unsatisfactory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsatisfactory
Adjective
  • The first project yields too many false positives, introducing an unacceptable amount of friction into the consumer experience.
    Shazia Manus, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
  • But Humane Society officials insist any cut over $1 million is unacceptable and will prompt the nonprofit to stop providing service to the city.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • The product was released in 2023 to a poor reception, and discontinued before the company began winding down operations in February.
    Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 24 May 2025
  • The original doesn’t go that deeply into it, but this poor girl was essentially forced to be a teen mom at this time in her life when all of her friends would be graduating high school and dating and thinking about their futures.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • But even putting O’Brien on notice would be an attempt to intimidate and silence a critic, which is plainly wrong.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2025
  • There’s a right way and a wrong way to do it Matt Sekerke is a managing director at SEDA Experts and senior macro advisor at Hiddenite Capital Partners.
    Matt Sekerke, Fortune, 30 May 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
  • But, are seed oils worse than saturated animal fats?
    Marianne Krasny, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
  • Men and women respond to the Nazi dictatorship by becoming, at best, evasive and feebly self-justifying, at worst, morally broken.
    David Denby, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • He's been deficient as a one-on-one defender; inconsistent as a bench scorer.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 16 May 2025
  • Every leader has the opportunity to assess their strength of character relative to the 11 dimensions and to understand whether what could be a virtue manifests as a deficient (underdeveloped) or an excess (unsupported) vice, which could compromise judgment and well-being.
    Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unsatisfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsatisfactory. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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