dissatisfy

verb

dis·​sat·​is·​fy (ˌ)di(s)-ˈsa-təs-ˌfī How to pronounce dissatisfy (audio)
dissatisfied; dissatisfying; dissatisfies

transitive verb

: to fail to satisfy : displease

Examples of dissatisfy in a Sentence

She was dissatisfied by the poor service. a restaurant serving portions that will not dissatisfy even the heartiest eater
Recent Examples on the Web Richland Hills residents, dissatisfied with their transit services, ditched Trinity Metro a few years later. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Feb. 2024 Either way, a victory by the leading candidates would leave most of the nation dissatisfied, according to the data. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 2 Feb. 2024 That’s compared with 54% who’d be enthusiastic/satisfied if Haley is the GOP nominee, and 43% who’d be dissatisfied/upset. Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 1 Feb. 2024 Revolutions are often imagined as spontaneous popular upheavals, but these uprisings began with local elites dissatisfied with centralized control. Maurizio Isabella, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023 Those who were unhappy with their new mandate weren’t looking to stay, as respondents dissatisfied with the company work model were more than 2.5 times more likely to consider leaving next year than those who were satisfied. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2023 Polls show Americans across the board dissatisfied with the current state of border security. Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 24 Aug. 2023 Plus, Black Bostonians, dissatisfied with City Hall’s predominantly white makeup, rallied to register Black voters and amped up its critiques of those in leadership, said Charlotte M. Nelson, a program coordinator for Northeastern University’s School of Law. Sahar Fatima, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2023 An increasing number of young adults, dissatisfied with the lack of opportunities commensurate with their degrees, have given up looking for work altogether. Time, 7 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dissatisfy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dissatisfy was in 1656

Dictionary Entries Near dissatisfy

Cite this Entry

“Dissatisfy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissatisfy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dissatisfy

verb
dis·​sat·​is·​fy (ˈ)dis-ˈ(s)at-əs-ˌfī How to pronounce dissatisfy (audio)
: to fail to satisfy : displease

More from Merriam-Webster on dissatisfy

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