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to leave something to be desired
01
to fail to fulfill one's expectations
Idiom
InformalWhat is the origin of the idiom "leave a lot to be desired" and when to use it?
The idiom "leave a lot to be desired" originated in the late 1700s. It is used to express that something is imperfect, unsatisfactory, or not as good as it should be. The phrase is used to imply that the quality or standard of something falls short of expectations or requirements
Examples
The new software's user interface leaves a lot to be desired, making it difficult to navigate.
The company's customer service leaves much to be desired, with long wait times and unhelpful responses.
