English Reference
Adjective

dissatisfied

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /dɪˈsætəsˌfaɪd/ UK /dɪsˈætɪsfˌaɪd/ dis·sat·is·fied

adj.feeling unhappy or disappointed because something is not as good as you expected. You use this when a service, a product, or a situation fails to meet your needs.

adj.feeling a lack of satisfaction or contentment with a specific outcome, service, or state of affairs. Often used predicatively after linking verbs such as 'feel', 'seem', or 'remain'.


SIMPLE

The customer was dissatisfied with the slow service.

CONTEXTUAL

Many employees felt dissatisfied with the new office policy and requested a meeting with management.

COMPLEX

Public opinion polls suggest that the electorate is increasingly dissatisfied with the government's inability to curb inflation despite several aggressive interest rate hikes.

Usage

Commonly followed by the preposition 'with'.

Pitfall
I am dissatisfied of the resultsI am dissatisfied with the results

Dissatisfied takes the preposition 'with', not 'of' or 'from'.

The latest British Social Attitudes survey found only 26% satisfied with the National Health Service, while 51% were dissatisfied.

Toronto Sun· 22 Aug 2026

Her husband’s restaurant has failed, he thinks feminism is bad for Chinese women and Muna is dissatisfied with their marriage.

The Guardian· 11 Aug 2026

From dis- + satisfied.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated