What does dissatisfied mean?
'Dissatisfied' is an adjective describing someone who is not satisfied — a person who feels let down, short-changed, or unfulfilled by a product, service, situation, or outcome. It most often appears with the preposition 'with', as in 'dissatisfied with the service', and is especially common in customer feedback, market research, and discussions of employment or public services. The word carries a mildly formal, measured tone: it suggests reasoned discontent rather than raw anger, which is why it dominates survey language ('X% of users were dissatisfied'). It derives from the verb 'satisfy', itself from Latin 'satis' (enough) plus 'facere' (to make or do), with the negative prefix 'dis-' reversing the sense. Its noun form is 'dissatisfaction'. Distinguish it from 'unsatisfied', which refers to needs or demands that remain unmet rather than to a person's displeasure.
adjectiveNot satisfied or pleased with something; feeling that a situation, product, service, or outcome falls short of expectations.
- Feeling displeased or discontent because something does not meet one's expectations or standards.
"Many customers were dissatisfied with the delayed delivery and asked for a refund."
"The survey found that nearly half of commuters were dissatisfied with the new timetable."
"He grew dissatisfied with his routine and began looking for more challenging work."
Add just two letters — 'dis' — to one of English's most positive words and you get its mirror image: 'dissatisfied' has been voicing consumer complaints since at least the 18th century.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dissatisfied
'Dissatisfied' is formed from the verb 'satisfy', which entered English from Old French 'satisfier' and ultimately from Latin 'satisfacere', meaning 'to do enough' — a compound of 'satis' (enough) and 'facere' (to make or do). The negative prefix 'dis-' was added to create the opposite sense, first as the verb 'dissatisfy' and then the adjective 'dissatisfied', both attested from around the early-to-mid 18th century. It shares this Latin root with 'satisfaction', 'satisfactory', and 'insatiable'.
Related word forms
How dissatisfied is actually used
'Dissatisfied' is neutral-to-formal in register and common in customer feedback, surveys, and workplace contexts. It typically takes the preposition 'with' (dissatisfied with something). It describes a person's state of mind rather than the quality of the thing itself; for the latter, use 'unsatisfactory' or 'dissatisfying'.
Easily confused with dissatisfied
'Dissatisfied' means displeased with the quality of something received or experienced, while 'unsatisfied' means not yet fulfilled or met (as in an unmet need or demand) — you can be dissatisfied with a meal but unsatisfied in your hunger.
'Dissatisfied' describes the person who feels discontent, whereas 'dissatisfying' describes the thing that causes that feeling.