Word family noun satisfaction ≠ dissatisfaction adjective satisfactory ≠ unsatisfactory satisfied ≠ dissatisfied ≠ unsatisfied satisfying verb satisfy adverb satisfactorily ≠ unsatisfactorily satisfyingly
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsatisfysat‧is‧fy /ˈsætəsfaɪ/ ●●○ W2 verb (satisfied, satisfying, satisfies) [transitive] 1 SATISFIEDto make someone feel pleased by doing what they want Nothing I did would ever satisfy my father.2 if you satisfy someone’s needs, demands etc, you provide what they need or wantsatisfy somebody’s needs/demands/desires The program is designed to satisfy the needs of adult learners.satisfy somebody’s hunger/appetite (=give someone enough food to stop them from feeling hungry) A salad won’t be enough to satisfy my appetite. Just to satisfy my curiosity (=find out something), how much did it cost?3 formalPERSUADE to make someone feel sure that something is right or true SYN convincesatisfy somebody of something Jackson tried to satisfy me of his innocence.satisfy yourself (that) Having satisfied herself that no one was there, she closed the door.4 formalGOOD ENOUGH to be good enough for a particular purpose, standard etc SYN meet Have you satisfied all the requirements for the general degree?COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: if you satisfy someone’s needs, demands etc, you provide what they need or wantnounssatisfy a needEducation must satisfy the needs of its pupils.satisfy a demandThe company was unable to satisfy demand for the product.satisfy somebody's appetite/hungerThey don't get enough food to satisfy their appetite.satisfy a desireIt is difficult to satisfy a desire for power.satisfy an urgeHer urge to travel had never been satisfied.satisfy somebody's curiosity (=let someone know something they want to know)I had to read the letter, just to satisfy my curiosity.satisfy somebody's wants (=provide the things that someone wants)We work hard to satisfy customers' wants.satisfy somebody's aspirations (=provide the things that someone hopes to get)The new government failed to satisfy the aspirations of the people.satisfy somebody's cravings (=satisfy a strong desire)I needed to satisfy my cravings for chocolate. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 4: to be good enough for a particular purpose, standard etcnounssatisfy a requirementThe application must satisfy the requirements of Article 6.satisfy a conditionFree treatment is available providing that two conditions are satisfied.satisfy a criterionThese programmes permit students to enter higher education without satisfying all the admissions criteria. → See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
satisfy• The changes I made seemed to satisfy Cooley.• A compromise was eventually reached, but even this failed to satisfy environmentalists.• I tried on dozens of wedding dresses before I found one that satisfied me.• The cheapest products satisfy only minimum safety requirements.• We've already satisfied ourselves that it was an accident.• Applicants will have to satisfy the committee that they are suitable for the job.• What numbers will satisfy the equation 2x + 3 >13?• Her explanation failed to satisfy the jury.• In addition more detailed information is obtained on occasion in order to satisfy the needs of adhoc detailed projects.• When the others had satisfied their hunger he led the attack.• The police said that they were satisfied with his story and let him go free.satisfy ... curiosity• At least he had satisfied his curiosity.• Foucard had once gone to that door, thrown it wide, given the room an all-embracing glance, satisfied his curiosity.• If this is true, it seems an expensive way of satisfying one's curiosity.• Some came to seek the new power, some to chuckle, others to satisfy their curiosity.• Some of them I had never seen before and some were there to satisfy their curiosity.• We too need to read the Bible in our hearts, rather than simply to discover facts or satisfy our curiosity.• You still haven't satisfied my curiosity.• If you want to satisfy your curiosity about Bob's girlfriend, you ring him yourself.satisfy yourself (that)• All we had to do now was satisfy ourselves that there was enough wreckage to warrant returning for a full-scale excavation.• No-one moved until she had quite satisfied herself.• She satisfied herself by pausing on the way to the conference to score it out.• He must therefore satisfy himself on a regular basis that it does not constitute a statutory nuisance.• Decision makers should satisfy themselves that current practice is itself worth having before using it as a comparison for a new treatment.• One of these has not yet been published, so people are unable to satisfy themselves that its design is appropriate.• He decided against buying a ticket there and then but satisfied himself with getting a list of trains to Rome.• I satisfied myself with the knowledge that I would suffer far more from leaving him than he would suffer from my absence.satisfied ... requirements• On 23 April 1991, information which satisfied the requirements of two of the four precepts in issue was produced.Origin satisfy (1400-1500) Old French satisfier, from Latin satisfacere, from satis “enough” + facere “to make” 