unsatisfactory quality

USAGE SUMMARY

'unsatisfactory quality' is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is typically used to refer to something that is not meeting an acceptable standard of quality. For example, "The customer complained that the product was of unsatisfactory quality."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

25 human-written examples

Under the Consumer Rights Act you have an early right to reject goods that are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described and get a full refund.

The Guardian - Money

However, because of the small number of subjects involved and the overall unsatisfactory quality of the trials, an effect cannot be excluded at this point.

European Journal of Paediatric Neurology

For the first requirement, there must be specified at the outset a value for the lot tolerance percent defective (LTPD) as well as a limit to the probability of accepting any submitted lot of unsatisfactory quality.

Journal of Industrial Engineering International

Yet someone who enrolled the highest range of students but received an "unsatisfactory" quality rating could receive a $73,000 salary; an "outstanding" rating would net the same employee a salary above $114,000.

Huffington Post

The whole ITS alignment of all 300 ITS sequences as generated by Clustal W was deemed to be of unsatisfactory quality as the 5.8S region of many sequences was appreciably misaligned.

Plosone

Ω 42 Pap smear slides were of unsatisfactory quality.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

35 human-written examples

The report, based on data collected by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, assigns grades based on the number of days with unsatisfactory air quality.

The New York Times

The result of early detection could reduce manufacturing cost due to unsatisfactory product quality.

Chemical Engineering Science

He is against the ban on many levels, including the unsatisfactory lighting quality, the cost of retrofitting homes to use the new light sources and the safety risk posed by the mercury.

BBC

The construction of Canning Dam ended a long period during which Perth's water supply was generally unsatisfactory in quality (either due to salinity or bacterial pollution or both) and in quantity.

Wikipedia

No subject was excluded because of bad performance, unsatisfactory image quality, extensive disease or extensive degeneration.

European Radiology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a product or service, specify the aspect of the "unsatisfactory quality". For example, "The image had an unsatisfactory quality due to low resolution."

Common error

Avoid using "unsatisfactory quality" without providing specific details. Instead of saying "The service was of unsatisfactory quality", explain what made it so, such as "The service was slow and the staff were unhelpful."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "unsatisfactory quality" functions as a noun phrase, often serving as the object of a preposition or as a subject complement. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

48%

News & Media

24%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Wiki

4%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "unsatisfactory quality" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to denote that something fails to meet the required standards. Ludwig AI validates its usage across diverse fields such as science, news, and business. When using this phrase, it's beneficial to provide specific details regarding the deficiency to avoid vagueness. Alternatives include "deficient quality", "poor quality", and "unacceptable quality", each carrying subtle nuances. While versatile, "unsatisfactory quality" is best suited for contexts where a level of formality and precision is needed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unacceptable quality

Suggests that the quality is not tolerable or permissible.

insufficient quality

Highlights the inadequacy or lack of necessary quality.

deficient quality

Implies a lack of essential or necessary attributes in the quality.

disappointing quality

Focuses on the disappointment caused by the quality not meeting expectations.

undesirable quality

Emphasizes the unwanted or unwelcome nature of the quality.

defective quality

Indicates a flaw or imperfection in the quality.

unfortunate quality

Implies a sense of regret or bad luck associated with the quality.

imperfect quality

Highlights the presence of flaws or imperfections.

unsatisfactory standard

Shifts the focus from quality to the standard not being met.

unsatisfactory quantity

Changes the focus to the amount being insufficient, rather than the quality itself.

FAQs

How can I use "unsatisfactory quality" in a sentence?

You can use "unsatisfactory quality" to describe something that doesn't meet expectations. For example, "The product was returned due to its "unsatisfactory quality"."

What's a less formal way to say "unsatisfactory quality"?

Informally, you could say the quality is "poor", "bad", or "lacking". Depending on the context, you might also use phrases like "not up to par" or "below standard".

Which is correct: "unsatisfactory quality" or "of unsatisfactory quality"?

Both are correct, but they have slightly different uses. "Unsatisfactory quality" functions as a noun phrase, while "of unsatisfactory quality" is a prepositional phrase often used after verbs like "is" or "was". For instance, "The product had "unsatisfactory quality"" versus "The product was of "unsatisfactory quality"".

What can I say instead of "unsatisfactory quality"?

You can use alternatives like "deficient quality", "poor quality", or "unacceptable quality" depending on the specific context.