Sometimes, you might find that certain things are not living up to expectations. You might have a new system in place at work that simply cannot get the job done. In these cases, it’s useful to know some synonyms to describe it.
What Can I Say Instead Of “Not Meeting Expectations”?
There are plenty of great choices we can use for this phrase. You could try out one of the following:
- Letdown
- Disappointing
- Unsatisfactory
- Displeasing
- Underachiever
- Missing the mark
- Substandard
- Ineffective
- Inefficient
- Lackluster
The preferred version is “letdown.” We can use it to show that we had high hopes for something to be a success. However, after a while, we realized that those hopes were misguided, and the thing ended up not meeting our original expectations.
Letdown
“Letdown” means that someone or something disappoints us. We often show that we are disappointed with things that do not meet our expectations, which is why this term works so well.
The best part of it is that it’s nondiscriminatory. It works for both people and objects, and we can use it to show that something disappoints us.
However, if you are going to use it to describe a person, you should be careful. It can definitely be construed as a harsh insult, and you might hurt someone’s feelings if you use it without regard.
The definition of “letdown,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a disappointment.”
- Your work has been nothing short of a letdown for this company. I think it’s time we discuss your future.
- She is a letdown, but we keep her around because she occasionally comes up with some interesting ideas.
- I don’t think this system worked well. It’s a letdown, and I’ll be writing to the company that endorsed it soon.
Disappointing
“Disappointing” is a simple way to show that something did not meet our expectations. If we are disappointed, it means we simply do not appreciate something or think it was worth our time or money.
We can use the adjective to describe a number of things, both within and outside of a workplace. It can also describe people or things, depending on what it is that we deem to be disappointing.
The definition of “disappointing,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “making you feel disappointed.”
- You are a disappointing worker for me, Jules. I don’t know why I thought it was smart to hire you.
- This is disappointing news. I truly expected something better, but alas, it was not meant to be.
- It’s quite disappointing that the new system did not take off! Oh well, at least we tried!
Unsatisfactory
“Unsatisfactory” is another good way to show that our expectations were not met.
When we are satisfied with something, it means that we appreciate it and think it hits the spot. However, if something is not satisfactory, then it means it’s below the expected standard in every way.
It can be very insulting to use a term like this to talk about someone’s workload.
The definition of “unsatisfactory,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “not satisfactory.”
- Your unsatisfactory work will be put forward for review over the next few weeks.
- I don’t appreciate being given unsatisfactory projects. Complete it before you hand it in.
- This is unsatisfactory. I expected more from you, but now I know that was a mistake!
Displeasing
“Displeasing” is a great way to show that something does not “please” us. It works to show that we are not impressed or satisfied with a product, project, or workload.
The definition of “displeasing,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to cause someone to be annoyed or unhappy.”
- The results have been displeasing. I’ll run them again, but I don’t have high hopes.
- This product is displeasing. I think we can get more out of it, though.
- Stop showing me so many displeasing projects. I want to see something successful from you!
Underachiever
“Underachiever” works well, but it almost entirely works to describe people rather than things. We can use it to show that somebody is not achieving the expected results that they might have promised us.
Generally, you can’t call an object an “underachiever” because there is nothing for an object to “achieve.” It’s best to use for people for this very reason.
The definition of “underachiever,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “someone who is less successful than they should be at school or at work.”
- You’re an underachiever, and it seems to me that you do not care about progressing further.
- Stop being such an underachiever. We want to see more success from you.
- Are you deliberately an underachiever? You certainly seem to enjoy being the worst of us!
Missing The Mark
“Missing the mark” is an idiom we can use to show that something simply does not impress us. We might have had large expectations of success from something, but it might not be doing what we wanted from it if it misses the mark.
- Your product has continuously missed the mark. I don’t think we’ll be ordering from you again.
- I don’t think I’ve been missing the mark, sir. However, I will try harder next time.
- You are missing the mark, Scott. It’s time to buck up your ideas!
Substandard
“Substandard” means that something is below an expected standard. “Sub-” as a prefix means “below,” showing that the standard was not met.
If a standard isn’t met, it means that something is not satisfactory. While most standards are unspoken, there is usually a good precedent in place that sets most standards for most things or people, especially in workplaces.
The definition of “substandard,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “below a satisfactory standard.”
- The substandard quality produced by this software is why we need to try something else.
- I think that you’re messing around with substandard information. You should ignore it.
- Don’t worry; he’s substandard in his role, and I doubt we’ll keep him around for much longer.
Ineffective
“Ineffective” works as the opposite of “effective.” It shows that something does not produce the intended outcome or effects that we might have expected.
If someone has been sold to us as effective, we might expect it to work well for our company. However, if we later find out that it does nothing that was promised, it can be deemed ineffective.
The definition of “ineffective,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “not producing the effects or results that are wanted.”
- Your ineffectiveness will go on no longer. We have to get rid of you, I’m afraid.
- This system is ineffective. It has slowed the workforce down beyond compare.
- I don’t think it’s wise to have something as ineffective as this running most of the business’s framework.
Inefficient
“Inefficient” means that something does not work with the efficiency we expected. Usually, someone has promised us that something will be “efficient.” However, when it is proven that it is not efficient, we can use this word.
The definition of “inefficient,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “not organized, skilled, or able to work in a satisfactory way.”
- The system is inefficient. I’m not getting anything out of it!
- You can’t come at me with these inefficiencies and expect me to pay for your time.
- I don’t think I can handle how inefficient this program is. We need to find a better one.
Lackluster
“Lackluster” means that something was created with little effort. Therefore, the results are often underwhelming and disappointing.
We can use this term to refer to a person or a thing. If whatever it is has managed to disappoint us, then “lackluster” is a great descriptive word.
The definition of “lackluster,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “without energy and effort.”
- Your performance has been most lackluster recently.
- I’m very sorry, but the machines you delivered to us have been lackluster. They cannot get the job done.
- These are very lackluster, and I thought you would have tried harder with them!
What Does “Not Meeting Expectations” Mean?
Okay, so we’ve seen all the best synonyms. Now let’s go back to the original problem and find out what the meaning is.
“Not meeting expectations” means that someone or something is not fit for the task you expected of them. If we have been told that someone or something can perform a certain way but then cannot prove this fact to us, they may not be meeting expectations.
A couple of examples might help you make more sense of it.
Firstly, imagine you’ve just installed a new system at work. The system is designed to make your workload easier and make data entry a much more appetizing task. However, when using the system, you realize that far too many bugs slow it down more than before!
Second, imagine that you’ve hired someone to do a specific job role. However, as time goes by, you realize they do not have the required skills that they stated they had in their resume. They end up not performing their job well.
Both of these examples are a great way to see how things might not be living up to expectations. You’ll have to know what your next steps are to handle these issues.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
