Lacking and Unsatisfactory

Lacking

Lacking adjective - Not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need.
Usage example: we felt the afternoon television offerings were somewhat lacking in entertainment value

Unsatisfactory and lacking are semantically related in inadequate topic. In some cases you can use "Unsatisfactory" instead an adjective "Lacking", when it comes to topics like insufficient.

Nearby Words: lack, lacked

Unsatisfactory

Unsatisfactory adjective - Falling short of a standard.
Usage example: an unsatisfactory first attempt at building a birdhouse

Lacking and unsatisfactory are semantically related in inadequate topic. You can use "Lacking" instead an adjective "Unsatisfactory", if it concerns topics such as insufficient.

Nearby Word: unsatisfactorily
Cite this Source
Unsatisfactory and Lacking. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/lacking/unsatisfactory
Lacking & Unsatisfactory. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/lacking/unsatisfactory>.
Unsatisfactory or Lacking. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/lacking/unsatisfactory.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "lacking" and "unsatisfactory" have occurred on timeline