leave much to be desired

idiom

variants or leave a lot to be desired or leave a great deal to be desired

—used to say that something is not very good at all or is not close to being good enough

Your work leaves much to be desired.

Although her education left a great deal to be desired, she was an extremely intelligent person.

The working conditions here leave a lot to be desired.

Examples of leave much to be desired in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In reality, neither experience is inherently easier or better; rather, they’re both shaped by societal structures that leave much to be desired for everyone. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024

Moreover, though on some levels realistic, Pip’s sleuthing skills leave much to be desired. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 1 Aug. 2024

And the career opportunities for working moms leave much to be desired. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 6 May 2024

The melodies don’t linger and the lyrics leave much to be desired. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2024

But berry season only comes once a year, and the out-of-season offerings leave much to be desired taste-wise. —Audrey Bruno, SELF, 21 Feb. 2024

While the advent of third-wave coffee shops that focus on small-batch artisan brews and perfect pour-overs has been a boon for the gastronomic scene and morning sluggishness/afternoon slumps, the minimalist décor and tranquil vibes that come with them can, at times, leave much to be desired. —Richard Guzman, Orange County Register, 16 Jan. 2024

His foreign-policy views leave much to be desired, but his economic-policy views are commendable. —Dominic Pino, National Review, 20 Jan. 2024

Over time, women have shown up in STEM fields in larger numbers and gained greater footholds, but their overall strides and pay levels leave much to be desired (STEM fields remain two-thirds male). —Jane Thier, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2023