leave a lot to be desired

verb

To be unsatisfactory; to fail to meet minimal standards of acceptability.

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Meanings

verbleave a lot to be desired (third-person singular simple present leaves a lot to be desired, present participle leaving a lot to be desired, simple past and past participle left a lot to be desired)

present singular third person leaves a lot to be desired · participle present leaving a lot to be desired · participle past left a lot to be desired · past left a lot to be desired · alternative leave much to be desired

  1. intransitiveTo be unsatisfactory; to fail to meet minimal standards of acceptability.
    1 more example

    The three cylinders of these engines are 18½ in. dia. by 26 in. stroke; and as the three piston valves were all between the frames, it resulted in the monoblock casting being weak, so far as the centre cylinder was concerned, with the result that the life of these castings left a good deal to be desired.

    1944 November and December, “Conversion of L.N.E.R. "B16" Class 4-6-0 Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 349

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
leave much to be desired

Translations

Czech mít k dokonalosti daleko
  • mít k dokonalosti dalekoTranslations
Dutch te wensen overlaten
  • te wensen overlatenTranslations
Finnish jättää toivomisen varaa
  • jättää toivomisen varaaTranslations
French laisser à désirer
  • laisser à désirerTranslations
German viel zu wünschen übrig lassen
  • viel zu wünschen übrig lassenTranslations
Polish pozostawiać wiele do życzenia, pozostawić wiele do życzenia
  • pozostawiać wiele do życzeniaTranslations
  • pozostawić wiele do życzeniaTranslations
Portuguese deixar a desejar
  • deixar a desejarTranslations
Russian оставля́ть жела́ть лу́чшего
  • оставля́ть жела́ть лу́чшего (ostavljátʹ želátʹ lúčševo)Translations
Spanish dejar mucho que desear
  • dejar mucho que desearTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

leave a lot to be desired. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20a%20lot%20to%20be%20desired

MLA

“leave a lot to be desired.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20a%20lot%20to%20be%20desired. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “leave a lot to be desired,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20a%20lot%20to%20be%20desired.

Source: leave a lot to be desired on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.