Standard Lemma guide

satisfy

verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈsætɪsfaɪ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S AE1 T AH0 S F AY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: S AE1 T IH0 S F AY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To be enough (for)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

Examples

  • That brief explanation will never satisfy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To be enough (for)

To meet the needs of, to fulfill the wishes or requirements of (someone).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive, transitive

Examples

  • The final rehearsal of the day seemed to satisfy the director.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To be enough (for)

To provide what is wanted or required for (something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive, transitive

Examples

  • Even three giant helpings of turkey and ham didn't satisfy her appetite.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: supply, appease

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To pay to the extent of what is claimed or due.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: business, finance

Examples

  • to satisfy a creditor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To answer or discharge (a claim, debt, legal demand, etc.); to give compensation for.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: law

Examples

  • to satisfy a claim or an execution

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To cause (a sentence) to be true when the sentence is interpreted in one's universe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: human-sciences, logic, mathematics, philosophy, sciences

Examples

  • The complex numbers satisfy #92;existsx#58;x2#43;1#61;0.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To convince by ascertaining; to free from doubt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated, literary, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

fill or meet a want or need

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: meet, fill, fulfill, fulfil

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: provide, supply, ply, cater

Narrower terms: answer, quell, stay, appease, feed on, feed upon, quench, slake, allay, assuage

9

verb

Meaning 9

make happy or satisfied

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gratify

Antonyms: dissatisfy

Narrower terms: please, delight, content

10

verb

Meaning 10

meet the requirements or expectations of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fulfill, fulfil, live up to

Antonyms: fall short of

Broader terms: meet, fit, conform to

Narrower terms: suffice, do, answer, serve, cover

History

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”).

Across languages

Translations

113 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: kënaq — to be enough (for)
  • Arabic: رَضَّى (raḍḍā) — to be enough (for)
  • Armenian: բավարարել (bavararel) — to be enough (for)
  • Asturian: satisfacer — to be enough (for)
  • Belarusian: задавальня́ць (zadavalʹnjácʹ) — to be enough (for)
  • Belarusian: задаво́ліць (zadavólicʹ) — to be enough (for)
  • Bulgarian: удовлетворя́вам (udovletvorjávam) — to be enough (for)
  • Bulgarian: удовлетворя́ (udovletvorjá) — to be enough (for)
  • Bulgarian: задоволя́вам (zadovoljávam) — to be enough (for)
  • Bulgarian: задоволя́ (zadovoljá) — to be enough (for)
  • Catalan: satisfer — to be enough (for)
  • Cebuano: tagbaw — to be enough (for)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 滿足 /满足 (mǎnzú) — to be enough (for)
  • Czech: uspokojovat — to be enough (for)
  • Czech: uspokojit — to be enough (for)
  • Czech: vyhovovat — to be enough (for)
  • Czech: vyhovět — to be enough (for)
  • Danish: tilfredsstille — to be enough (for)
  • Dutch: voldoen — to be enough (for)
  • Dutch: voldoende zijn — to be enough (for)
  • Dutch: bevredigen — to be enough (for)
  • Esperanto: kontentigi — to be enough (for)
  • Finnish: tyydyttää — to be enough (for)
  • Finnish: olla tyytyväinen — to be enough (for)
  • French: satisfaire — to be enough (for)
  • Galician: satisfacer — to be enough (for)
  • Georgian: დაკმაყოფილება (daḳmaq̇opileba) — to be enough (for)
  • German: befriedigen — to be enough (for)
  • German: zufriedenstellen — to be enough (for)
  • Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍉𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gasōþjan) — to be enough (for)
  • Gothic: 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌻𐌰𐍆𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (fullafahjan) — to be enough (for)
  • Greek: ικανοποιώ (ikanopoió) — to be enough (for)
  • Ancient Greek: κορέννυμι (korénnumi) — to be enough (for)
  • Hungarian: kielégít — to be enough (for)
  • Icelandic: gera ánægðan — to be enough (for)
  • Icelandic: fullnægja — to be enough (for)
  • Ido: satisfacar — to be enough (for)
  • Indonesian: memuaskan — to be enough (for)
  • Indonesian: puaskan — to be enough (for)
  • Irish: sásaigh — to be enough (for)
  • Old Irish: sásaid — to be enough (for)
  • Italian: soddisfare — to be enough (for)
  • Italian: accontentare — to be enough (for)
  • Italian: saziare — to be enough (for)
  • Japanese: 満たす (mitasu) — to be enough (for)
  • Kazakh: қанағаттандыру (qanağattandyru) — to be enough (for)
  • Korean: 만족시키다 (manjoksikida) — to be enough (for)
  • Latin: satiō — to be enough (for)
  • Latin: sufficio — to be enough (for)
  • Latin: satisfacio — to be enough (for)
  • Lithuanian: tenkinti — to be enough (for)
  • Lithuanian: patenkinti — to be enough (for)
  • Macedonian: задоволува (zadovoluva) — to be enough (for)
  • Macedonian: задоволи (zadovoli) — to be enough (for)
  • Malagasy: mahavoky — to be enough (for)
  • Malagasy: mamoky — to be enough (for)
  • Malay: memuaskan — to be enough (for)
  • Malay: puaskan — to be enough (for)
  • Māori: whakaupa — to be enough (for)
  • Māori: whakatūtataki — to be enough (for)
  • Māori: whakanā — to be enough (for)
  • Māori: whakahei — to be enough (for)
  • Norwegian: tilfredsstille — to be enough (for)
  • Old English: cweman — to be enough (for)
  • Old English: gesedan — to be enough (for)
  • Old English: sadian — to be enough (for)
  • Old English: weldon — to be enough (for)
  • Old English: fyllan — to be enough (for)
  • Old English: afyllan — to be enough (for)
  • Persian: قانع کردن (qâne' kardan) — to be enough (for)
  • Polish: zadowalać — to be enough (for)
  • Polish: zadowolić — to be enough (for)
  • Polish: zaspokajać — to be enough (for)
  • Polish: zaspokoić — to be enough (for)
  • Polish: satysfakcjonować — to be enough (for)
  • Polish: usatysfakcjonować — to be enough (for)
  • Portuguese: satisfazer — to be enough (for)
  • Quechua: saksay — to be enough (for)
  • Quechua: amikuy — to be enough (for)
  • Romanian: satisface — to be enough (for)
  • Romanian: mulțumi — to be enough (for)
  • Romanian: îndeplini — to be enough (for)
  • Russian: удовлетворя́ть (udovletvorjátʹ) — to be enough (for)
  • Russian: удовлетвори́ть (udovletvorítʹ) — to be enough (for)
  • Scottish Gaelic: sàsaich — to be enough (for)
  • Scottish Gaelic: riaraich — to be enough (for)
  • Slovak: uspokojovať — to be enough (for)
  • Slovak: uspokojiť — to be enough (for)
  • Slovene: zadovoljeváti — to be enough (for)
  • Slovene: zadovoljíti — to be enough (for)
  • Spanish: satisfacer — to be enough (for)
  • Swedish: tillfredsställa — to be enough (for)
  • Tagalog: masiyahan — to be enough (for)
  • Telugu: తీర్చు (tīrcu) — to be enough (for)
  • Thai: ทําให้พอใจ — to be enough (for)
  • Turkish: tatmin etmek — to be enough (for)
  • Turkish: yetmek — to be enough (for)
  • Turkish: doyurmak — to be enough (for)
  • Ottoman Turkish: اقناع ایتمك (iknâʼ etmek) — to be enough (for)
  • Ottoman Turkish: تطمین ایتمك (tatmin etmek) — to be enough (for)
  • Ukrainian: задовольня́ти (zadovolʹnjáty) — to be enough (for)
  • Ukrainian: задовольни́ти (zadovolʹnýty) — to be enough (for)
  • Vietnamese: thỏa mãn — to be enough (for)
  • Vietnamese: thoả mãn — to be enough (for)
  • Bulgarian: изплащам (izplaštam) — to pay to the extent of what is claimed or due
  • Bulgarian: изплатя (izplatja) — to pay to the extent of what is claimed or due
  • Finnish: maksaa velkansa — to pay to the extent of what is claimed or due
  • Bulgarian: изпълнявам (izpǎlnjavam) — mathematics, logic: to cause to be true
  • Bulgarian: изпълня (izpǎlnja) — mathematics, logic: to cause to be true
  • Dutch: vervullen — mathematics, logic: to cause to be true
  • Dutch: voldoen aan — mathematics, logic: to cause to be true
  • Bulgarian: уверявам (uverjavam) — dated, literary: to free from doubt
  • Bulgarian: уверя (uverja) — dated, literary: to free from doubt
Real reading context

satisfy in complete knowledge articles