as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
an unsatisfactory first attempt at building a birdhouse
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsatisfactory
But for clear-air turbulence pilots still rely on reports from other pilots who have already passed through it—an unsatisfactory arrangement for both parties.
—
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Jayapal gave me a long, tight hug, and offered a kind though unsatisfactory response.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
The district says the 10-year plan would modernize 159 schools and eliminate all buildings currently rated poor or unsatisfactory.
—Ross Dimattei, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
More than likely, Silver’s answer will be unsatisfactory for most.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsatisfactory
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Jayapal gave me a long, tight hug, and offered a kind though unsatisfactory response.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
The district says the 10-year plan would modernize 159 schools and eliminate all buildings currently rated poor or unsatisfactory.
—Ross Dimattei, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
More than likely, Silver’s answer will be unsatisfactory for most.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsatisfactory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsatisfactory
Adjective
-
The takeover will continue until the district meets criteria set by the Texas Education Agency, which include exceeding the state and/or regional average for meeting-grade-level proficiency in reading and math, and ensuring the district has no schools unacceptable ratings for multiple years.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Mar. 2026
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To have to come and be in this particular bracket every freaking year is unacceptable.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And that 44-point home victory was with Brandon Miller having a poor shooting night (5 of 15, 13 points).—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The Dolphins’ struggles during the last decade-plus with Ross signing the checks was a result of poor leadership at the top of the football operations side.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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As another election approaches, millions of Floridians can prove just how wrong DeSantis was.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
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On isolated occasions a carp has been spotted on the wrong side of the electrical barrier.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This struck me as heartbreakingly lame and, therefore, as a moment of vital consequence.—
Amanda Peet,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Duke fires the shot that kills the king Dying Tommy insists Duke finish him off with the bullet like a lame horse.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What's worse are diesel prices.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
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The family had made the three-day journey west based on reports that autism services in Colorado would be better, but in the upheaval of a move, Ethan had gotten worse and thrown his father into a wall.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Being defensively deficient against the second-best offense in the nation wasn’t a recipe for success.—
Lia Assimakopoulos,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Drummond asked the court to order the board to issue a new rejection letter detailing all of the reasons the proposal was deficient.—
Asaf Elia-Shalev,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsatisfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsatisfactory. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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