Word Choice: Dissatisfied vs. Unsatisfied

Both ‘dissatisfied’ and ‘unsatisfied’ mean ‘not satisfied’. However, these words are not interchangeable and actually have different uses. This makes it difficult to know which term applies to Mick Jagger.

To avoid errors in your writing, then, and to hopefully unravel the mystery of what kind of ‘satisfaction’ Mick was after, check out our explanation below.

Dissatisfied (Unhappy or Displeased)

One use of ‘satisfied’ is to mean ‘pleased to have got what one wanted’. The opposite of this is ‘dissatisfied’, which we use when unhappy or displeased with something. For instance:

She is dissatisfied with her job because of the new manager.

Here, for example, we are describing someone who is unhappy at work. Importantly, ‘dissatisfied’ always describes the way that someone feels.

Unsatisfied (Not Yet Fulfilled)

Another sense of ‘satisfied’ means ‘fulfilled’. We use this when something has met expectations or reached a required standard. The opposite of this is ‘unsatisfied’. For example, we might say:

I enjoy my job, but part-time work leaves me unsatisfied.

This describes an unfulfilled desire. In addition, while only a person can be ‘dissatisfied’, we can use ‘unsatisfied’ more abstractly:

Research shows that there is an unsatisfied demand in the market.

In this case, there is no single person to ‘satisfy’. Similarly, we say that the conditions of a contract are ‘unsatisfied’ if they have not yet been met or completed (or ‘satisfied’ if they have).

Dissatisfied or Unsatisfied?

This depends on context! As shown above, ‘dissatisfied’ and ‘unsatisfied’ can both be used as the opposite of ‘satisfied’, but their exact meaning differs:

• Are you describing someone being unhappy or displeased with something? Then use the word ‘dissatisfied’.
• Are you describing an unfulfilled expectation or requirement? If so, then use the term ‘unsatisfied’.

These terms overlap in some cases (e.g. a meal might leave you both dissatisfied and unsatisfied if you’re still hungry afterwards). But there is usually a distinction, so it pays to be careful about word choice!

Oh, and we think Mick was mostly ‘unsatisfied’ if the lyric ‘can’t get no girl reaction’ is anything to go by. We’ll leave the rest to your imagination.