Dictionary

satisfy en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈsætɪsfaɪ/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree ▲ Latin satisfacerepcalq. Old French satisfierder. Middle English satisfyen English satisfy From Middle English satisfyen, satisfien, from Old French satisfiier, satisfier (also Old French satisfaire), from Latin satisfacere, from satis (“enough, sufficient”) + faciō (“to make; to do”).

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive) To be enough (for)
   • That brief explanation will never satisfy.
   • Death shall […] with us two / Be forced to satisfy his ravenous maw. 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
   • Now think of all the years you tried to Find someone to satisfy you I might be as crazy as you say If I'm crazy then it's true That it's all because of you And you wouldn't want me any other way 1980 March 7, Billy Joel, “You May Be Right”, in Glass Houses:
2. (ambitransitive, transitive) To be enough (for) ▸ To meet the needs of, to fulfill the wishes or requirements of (someone).
   • The final rehearsal of the day seemed to satisfy the director.
3. (ambitransitive, transitive) To be enough (for) ▸ To provide what is wanted or required for (something).
   • Even three giant helpings of turkey and ham didn't satisfy her appetite.
4. (transitive) To pay to the extent of what is claimed or due.
   • to satisfy a creditor
5. (transitive) To answer or discharge (a claim, debt, legal demand, etc.); to give compensation for.
   • to satisfy a claim or an execution
6. (transitive) To cause (a sentence) to be true when the sentence is interpreted in one's universe.
   • The complex numbers satisfy #92;existsx#58;x²#43;1#61;0.
7. (dated, literary, transitive) To convince by ascertaining; to free from doubt.
   • I was resolved to satisfy myself whether this ragged Elijah was really dogging us or not, and with that intent crossed the way with Queequeg, and on that side of it retraced our steps. 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 19, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
   • The Siamese officer and the Consul having satisfied themselves of the honest intentions of the applicant, will assist him... 1856, “Treaty signed April 18, 1855; ratified April 5, 1856”, in Treaty of friendship and commerce between Great Britain and Siam, Bangkok: J. H. Chandler, page 9:

Forms

Antonyms

disappoint (antonym(s) of “meet needs, fulfill”) · exhaust · worsen · dissatisfy

Deriveds

satisfiable · presatisfy · oversatisfy · resatisfy · outsatisfy · satisfy oneself · unsatisfy · satisfiability

Hyponyms

gorge · glut · oversatisfy · surfeit

Relateds

satisfaction · satisfice · satisfactory · satiation · satiety · satiate

Synonyms

suit · pacify · fascinate · propitiate · assuage · supply · quench · fulfill · appease · cloy · gratify · gratify · abound · rejoice · supply · captivate · delight · flatter · placate · teem · compensate · satiate · suffice · indulge · appease · humour · conciliate · fill · elate · please · measure up · cater · exuberate · amuse · sate · humor · slake · mollify · serve · score · entertain · provide

Translations (113)

sk uspokojovať (to be enough (for)) · mg mamoky (to be enough (for)) · ro mulțumi (to be enough (for)) · ga sásaigh (to be enough (for)) · lt patenkinti (to be enough (for)) · mk задоволи (to be enough (for)) · ru удовлетворя́ть (to be enough (for)) · ang fyllan (to be enough (for)) · cmn 滿足 /满足 (to be enough (for)) · fi tyydyttää (to be enough (for)) · gd riaraich (to be enough (for)) · pl zaspokajać (to be enough (for)) · la sufficio (to be enough (for)) · is fullnægja (to be enough (for)) · mi whakanā (to be enough (for)) · ota اقناع ایتمك (to be enough (for)) · pl usatysfakcjonować (to be enough (for)) · ms memuaskan (to be enough (for)) · no tilfredsstille (to be enough (for)) · sq kënaq (to be enough (for)) · la satiō (to be enough (for)) · sk uspokojiť (to be enough (for)) · io satisfacar (to be enough (for)) · bg изпълнявам (mathematics, logic: to cause to be true) · ka დაკმაყოფილება (to be enough (for)) · ceb tagbaw (to be enough (for)) · qu amikuy (to be enough (for)) · nl vervullen (mathematics, logic: to cause to be true) · bg изплатя (to pay to the extent of what is claimed or due) · hy բավարարել (to be enough (for)) · fr satisfaire (to be enough (for)) · pt satisfazer (to be enough (for)) · ca satisfer (to be enough (for)) · bg задоволя́ (to be enough (for)) · nl voldoen aan (mathematics, logic: to cause to be true) · de zufriedenstellen (to be enough (for)) · kk қанағаттандыру (to be enough (for)) · bg удовлетворя́ (to be enough (for)) · id memuaskan (to be enough (for)) · vi thỏa mãn (to be enough (for)) · el ικανοποιώ (to be enough (for)) · sl zadovoljíti (to be enough (for)) · ast satisfacer (to be enough (for)) · ota تطمین ایتمك (to be enough (for)) · mi whakatūtataki (to be enough (for)) · grc κορέννυμι (to be enough (for)) · es satisfacer (to be enough (for)) · it soddisfare (to be enough (for)) · th ทำให้พอใจ (to be enough (for)) · bg задоволя́вам (to be enough (for)) · pl zadowalać (to be enough (for)) · uk задовольни́ти (to be enough (for)) · ro satisface (to be enough (for)) · qu saksay (to be enough (for)) · ro îndeplini (to be enough (for)) · cs uspokojit (to be enough (for)) · sv tillfredsställa (to be enough (for)) · ang cweman (to be enough (for)) · got 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌻𐌰𐍆𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to be enough (for)) · hu kielégít (to be enough (for)) · is gera ánægðan (to be enough (for)) · bg изпълня (mathematics, logic: to cause to be true) · ko 만족시키다 (to be enough (for)) · de befriedigen (to be enough (for)) · mi whakaupa (to be enough (for)) · bg изплащам (to pay to the extent of what is claimed or due) · uk задовольня́ти (to be enough (for)) · got 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍉𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to be enough (for)) · nl voldoen (to be enough (for)) · mi whakahei (to be enough (for)) · tr yetmek (to be enough (for)) · mk задоволува (to be enough (for)) · eo kontentigi (to be enough (for)) · ru удовлетвори́ть (to be enough (for)) · fa قانع کردن (to be enough (for)) · pl satysfakcjonować (to be enough (for)) · la satisfacio (to be enough (for)) · lt tenkinti (to be enough (for)) · be задаво́ліць (to be enough (for)) · cs vyhovovat (to be enough (for)) · ms puaskan (to be enough (for)) · sl zadovoljeváti (to be enough (for)) · ja 満たす (to be enough (for)) · da tilfredsstille (to be enough (for)) · sga sásaid (to be enough (for)) · bg уверя (dated, literary: to free from doubt) · be задавальня́ць (to be enough (for)) · bg уверявам (dated, literary: to free from doubt) · gl satisfacer (to be enough (for)) · pl zaspokoić (to be enough (for)) · gd sàsaich (to be enough (for)) · ang sadian (to be enough (for)) · vi thoả mãn (to be enough (for)) · ang weldon (to be enough (for)) · nl bevredigen (to be enough (for)) · it saziare (to be enough (for)) · tr tatmin etmek (to be enough (for)) · id puaskan (to be enough (for)) · ang gesedan (to be enough (for)) · ang afyllan (to be enough (for)) · nl voldoende zijn (to be enough (for)) · cs vyhovět (to be enough (for)) · te తీర్చు (to be enough (for)) · tr doyurmak (to be enough (for)) · it accontentare (to be enough (for)) · ar رَضَّى (to be enough (for)) · fi maksaa velkansa (to pay to the extent of what is claimed or due) · pl zadowolić (to be enough (for)) · bg удовлетворя́вам (to be enough (for)) · mg mahavoky (to be enough (for)) · tl masiyahan (to be enough (for)) · fi olla tyytyväinen (to be enough (for)) · cs uspokojovat (to be enough (for))