Definition of unsatisfactorynext
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 While some users report strong performance on Trustpilot, others cite installation delays, outages or unsatisfactory support. Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025 Venture capital scored the lowest net sentiment, with 33% of respondents reporting unsatisfactory returns. Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025 Russell Miller, a spokesperson for the labor union, referred Bay Area News Group to statements on its website that call Kaiser’s pay offer unsatisfactory because of historic, post-pandemic inflation that drove up living costs for workers. Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2025 Sainz and Williams initiating a right of review protest four days later revived my feeling that his penalty was an unsatisfactory outcome, regardless of the rules. Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unsatisfactory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsatisfactory
Adjective
  • Local officials criticized the FAA for imposing the closure without advance notice or coordination, calling the lack of communication unacceptable.
    Seung Min Kim, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
  • That failure to communicate is unacceptable.
    Jay Blackman, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Semmann said stores raise prices primarily in response to supply chain issues, such as poor harvests, changes to international trade policy or increasing logistical costs.
    Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Boating conditions are poor across offshore waters south of Cape Canaveral, while small craft need to exercise caution near the inlets.
    Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Nichols and Vann concede that handing the cup with the apple juice and urine mix to Smith’s son to drink was wrong and Vann has expressed regret for that.
    Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The crash involved a wrong-way driver on eastbound I-84, according to an Idaho State Police Facebook post.
    Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • And Siegfried keeps trying to understand what’s wrong with this goat that its owner claims is lame.
    Alice Burton, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
  • With about a year left until the next mayoral election, the attacks from Johnson’s opponents attempting to preemptively paint him as a lame-duck mayor could also turn off candidates worried about job stability, but their contract specifics would vary by agency.
    Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • In 2006, ahead of the Turin Olympics, Vonn took a bad fall during downhill training and went to the hospital.
    ANDREW DAMPF, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Attending a bad Super Bowl is the Super Bowl of communal experiences.
    Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The opinion noted that attorneys did not argue that Idaho’s system of public schools was deficient, or that the tax credit program would make it so.
    Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Those who are deficient in magnesium are more likely to have anemia.
    Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 4 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Unsatisfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsatisfactory. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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