THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE
Leave a lot to be desired
Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Meaning in plain English
Be much less satisfactory than you would like.
02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT
The expression in a sentence
- The room was spacious, but the sound insulation left a lot to be desired.
03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Quick idiom quiz
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Can you recall the expression?
Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?
Be much less satisfactory than you would like.
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Leave a lot to be desired — Be much less satisfactory than you would like.
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Write one sentence using “Leave a lot to be desired” about your own life.
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Be much less satisfactory than you would like.
Compare: The room was spacious, but the sound insulation left a lot to be desired.
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More ways to understand and use it
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When to use it
Use this expression to criticise quality or performance. It can sound restrained, but the criticism is substantial; explain the specific problem when giving useful feedback.
More examples in context
- Our first draft leaves a lot to be desired, especially the introduction.
- The instructions left a lot to be desired, so we rewrote them.
Usage note
Something “leaves a lot to be desired” when it needs considerable improvement. Despite the word “desired”, this is criticism rather than praise for being attractive.
A short conversation
A: Was the online booking process easy?
B: The website looked good, but its search function left a lot to be desired.
A: What made it difficult to use?
One more practice question
A review says the service “left a lot to be desired”. What does the reviewer mean?
A. The service was excellent in every way.
B. The service needed significant improvement.
Check your answer
B. The expression signals dissatisfaction with the standard.
Related lessons
Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.