unsatisfactory

[uhn-sat-is-fak-tuh-ree] /ˌʌn sæt ɪsˈfæk tə ri/

adjective

not satisfactory; not satisfying or meeting one's demands; inadequate.

Origin

1630-40; un-¹ + satisfactory

Related forms

unsatisfactorily, adverb

unsatisfactoriness, noun

Synonyms

disappointing, insufficient.

Examples from the web for unsatisfactory

We feel this response is insufficient and unsatisfactory.
Perhaps the unsatisfactory answer is that they are both right.
There is a big difference here, and can result in unsatisfactory ends for the animals in question.
By comparison, actual life conditions are unsatisfactory, which can make one feel unhappiness.
Since my example is unsatisfactory, allow me to toss the ball into your court.
Each section of the rubric had a unsatisfactory to excellent description of behavior.
Most entry-level jobs seem unsatisfactory to people who think of themselves as exceptionally gifted.
Faculty who perform poorly should receive negative evaluations based directly on their unsatisfactory professional performance.
Her answers, unsatisfactory as they are, suggest a profound capacity for self-deception.
The new foreign policy frontier is deeply social, as messy and unsatisfactory as that may be.

British Dictionary definitions for unsatisfactory

/ˌʌnsætɪsˈfæktərɪ; -trɪ/

adjective

not adequate or suitable; unacceptable

Word Origin and History for unsatisfactory

adj.

1640s, from un- (1) "not" + satisfactory.