dissatisfy

dissatisfy — verb

  • dissatisfypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • dissatisfies3rd person singular
  • dissatisfying-ing form
  • dissatisfiedpast simple

1. to make someone feel unhappy or disappointed because something does not match wh

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to make someone feel unhappy or disappointed because something does not match what they hoped for, needed, or expected — for instance, poor service, a broken promise, or a faulty product.

Example

The dirty rooms and cold food dissatisfied the wedding guests at the hotel.

A sudden change to the holiday schedule dissatisfied every family on the tour.

event-based subject + dissatisfy + group of people

Common collocations
  • dissatisfy guests / customers / workers / voters / students
  • be dissatisfied with the service / results / quality / decision
Synonyms
  • displease

    More common in formal and written English; slightly softer in tone.

  • disappoint

    Focuses on failed hopes or expectations rather than general unmet needs.

Antonyms
  • satisfy

    The direct opposite; very common and used in both active and passive voice freely.

  • please

    Stronger positive emotional outcome; more common than 'dissatisfy' in active use.

Grammar Patterns

dissatisfy + object

be dissatisfied with + noun phrase

Usage Note

Most commonly used in the passive voice: 'be dissatisfied with + noun phrase'. The active voice ('The dirty rooms dissatisfied the guests') is grammatically correct but less frequent in everyday English; 'displease' or 'fail to satisfy' are more common active alternatives.

Common Mistakes

The food unsatisfied me.
The food dissatisfied me.
There is no verb 'unsatisfy' in standard English; the correct verb form with the negative prefix is always 'dissatisfy'. The noun is 'dissatisfaction', not 'unsatisfaction'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three verbs describe a negative reaction, but they differ in focus and commonness. 'Dissatisfy' (less common) is the weakest: it means something falls short of what was expected or needed — a product, service, or arrangement fails to meet a standard. 'Displease' (more formal, common in writing) focuses on the emotional response of being annoyed or offended, often by someone's behaviour. 'Disappoint' (the most common) centres on failed hopes or expectations — you expected something good and it did not happen. For example: 'The slow internet dissatisfied the remote workers' (below their work standard); 'The waiter's attitude displeased the diners' (behaviour caused annoyance); 'The cancelled concert disappointed the fans' (hopes were dashed).

dissatisfy ↗displease ↗disappoint ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • be dissatisfied with
  • feel dissatisfied about

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from the Latin prefix 'dis-' (meaning 'not' or 'opposite of') combined with 'satisfacere' (meaning 'to satisfy' or 'to do enough'), which itself comes from 'satis' ('enough') and 'facere' ('to make' or 'to do'). The word entered English through Old French in the late 15th century.