disappointing 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of disappointingnext
1
as in saddening

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in inadequate

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

disappointing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of disappoint
as in failing
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of they were disappointed by the outcome of the big game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disappointing
Adjective
Rendon’s attitude and performance became so disappointing that the Angels effectively told him to stay away in 2026 and restructured the final year of his contract. — Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026 Also on hand was Formula 1 racer Kimi Antonelli, who leads the drivers' standings despite a disappointing result in Sunday's British Grand Prix. — ABC News, 6 July 2026
Verb
This is a departure for Cornyn, disappointing some defenders of the effective 60-vote threshold for the passage of most legislation in the Senate. — W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026 And yet, the comfortable resolution in the parting note feels all too schematic, like an after-school special; disappointing in a film that gives us something a lot more complex until then, including an excellent intervention scene between a defensive Garance and her theater troupe. — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 17 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for disappointing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disappointing
  1. saddening
  2. inadequate
  3. failing
  4. dissatisfying
  5. deficient
  6. cheating
  7. discouraging
  8. inferior
Adjective
  • The result is a bonus both surprising and saddening.
    — Bob Brody, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
  • The backlash from certain parts of the media has been extremely saddening, particularly given how hard John works to raise awareness and understanding.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Definition of saddening
Adjective
  • The complaint alleges that the conduct contributed to two patient deaths linked to inadequate care.
    — Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • Frustration has mounted over what many Venezuelans saw as an inadequate government response, with soldiers, firefighters, police and emergency services struggling to respond to the scale of the disaster.
    — Abigail Williams, NBC news, 29 June 2026
Definition of inadequate
Verb
  • The Athletics beat the Dodgers 7-1 on Wednesday night, giving the West Sacramento team its only win of the series with the Dodgers, winners of the past two World Series, failing to secure a three-game sweep.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • Such a bond occurs when a judge grants a compassionate release for inmates who are in failing health and no longer a threat to the community.
    — Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026
Definition of failing
Adjective
  • The Erika plot is one of the several dissatisfying threads in this episode.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
  • Last season, the Bruins strung together three wins against Rutgers, Nebraska and Iowa – but that team resembled Chip Kelly’s decent-if-dissatisfying regime.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of dissatisfying
Adjective
  • Drought covered virtually the entire Plains, destroying crops with deficient rainfall, high temperatures, high winds, insect infestations and dust storms.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • Many people included in these studies may not have been deficient in vitamin D or calcium to begin with.
    — Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 1 July 2026
Definition of deficient
Verb
  • And using what looks like a giant pile of gerbil food for half-day cooking projects just feels like cheating.
    — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • The chapters moved from crime rates to cheating teachers to drug dealers living with their mothers, linking unlikely variables with a kind of intellectual mischief that felt almost illicit.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of cheating
Adjective
  • Still, this was a discouraging result for anyone wearing yellow in Kansas City.
    — Kellis Robinett, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026
  • The Chicago Blackhawks needed plenty after a discouraging 2024-25 season.
    — Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Definition of discouraging
Adjective
  • More broadly, the idea that White players are inherently inferior no longer matches reality.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • This is because Austria would have remained on three points but with an inferior goal difference to Iran in the third-place standings (minus one to zero).
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 28 June 2026
Definition of inferior

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Cite this Entry

“Disappointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disappointing. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on disappointing

Nglish: Translation of disappointing for Spanish Speakers

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