English Reference
Adjective

unsatisfied

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ənˈsætɪsˌfaɪd/ UK /ʌnsˈætɪsfˌaɪd/ un·sat·is·fied

adj.not happy with a situation or a result. You feel this way when you want something more or when you think something is not good enough.

adj.not meeting a requirement or expectation; not content with a state of affairs. Often used to describe a person's emotional state or a product's quality.


SIMPLE

She felt unsatisfied with the small amount of money she earned.

CONTEXTUAL

The customer left the store unsatisfied because the product was damaged and the staff refused to offer a refund.

COMPLEX

Despite the significant improvements in the software's performance, the developers remained unsatisfied with the user interface, which they felt was still too cluttered for the average consumer.

It’s no wonder patients feel unheard, unsatisfied and lost.

The Guardian· 27 Aug 2026

From un- + satisfied.

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

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated