Search from various English teachers...
JOY
dissatisfied & unsatisfied
Is there any difference between the two words? Which negative prefix shoud I put before "satisfactory", " dis" or " un"?
Thanks for your helpnot as + adjective + as
not so + adjective + as
Do the two structures have any difference?
Aug 23, 2014 3:12 PM
Answers · 2
2
'dis-' means badly or wrongly; 'un-' means 'not'.
You would perhaps be dissatisfied with something that exists but was bad (e.g. with a meal that tasted horrible) but unsatisfied with a LACK of something (a meal that was nice but too small).
In many cases that difference isn't important and you can use either.
However, we don't say 'dissatisfactory' often - 'unsatisfactory' is much more common.
August 23, 2014
These are VERY similar in meaning and can, I think, be used interchangeably in speech and writing. Dissatisfied is perhaps a little stronger in tone (a dissatisfied person is perhaps a little more angry/upset/saddened than an unsatisfied person...who is simply not satisfied) but the distinction is very subtle.
August 23, 2014
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
JOY
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), English, Spanish
Learning Language
English, Spanish
Articles You May Also Like

How to Answer “How Was Your Weekend?” Naturally in English
16 likes · 6 Comments

Why Some Jokes Don’t Translate: Understanding Humor in English
6 likes · 1 Comments

How to Talk About Your Strengths and Weaknesses Professionally
3 likes · 1 Comments
More articles
