Satisfaction is the feeling you get when something meets or exceeds your expectations, when a need is fulfilled, or when you accomplish what you set out to do. After finishing a difficult jigsaw puzzle, you might lean back with a sense of satisfaction, knowing all those pieces finally fit together. When you're really thirsty and take a long drink of cold water, that's satisfaction too.

Satisfaction happens when enough is actually enough. A runner feels satisfaction crossing the finish line. A baker feels satisfaction when a cake rises perfectly. You might feel satisfaction after organizing your room, completing your homework before dinner, or finally mastering a tricky skateboard move you've been practicing.

Satisfaction can be quiet and personal, like the satisfaction of reading the last page of a great book, or it can be something you express outwardly. People sometimes nod with satisfaction or smile to themselves when things work out well.

The opposite of satisfaction is dissatisfaction, that frustrated feeling when something falls short of what you hoped for. When a restaurant promises “satisfaction guaranteed,” they're saying they'll make sure you're happy with your meal, or they'll make it right.