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I've checked a thesaurus but I've never heard of the idioms/euphemisms listed there. Are they common? If not, what are better options?

Example sentence:

Mary's husband wasn't satisfying her.

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    In your reference to euphemisms, do you mean to say that Mary's husband wasn't satisfying her sexually? Or do you mean a more general satisfaction?
    – BladorthinTheGrey
    Commented Oct 16, 2016 at 8:07
  • He (or his performance, or his honesty, or...) left something to be desired.
    – Drew
    Commented Oct 16, 2016 at 15:06
  • Is he neglecting her? (a frequency problem) Or is he not being responsive to her needs? (a qualitative problem)
    – aparente001
    Commented Oct 17, 2016 at 2:12

1 Answer 1

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You may consider meet (someone's) expectations. It sounds milder that not satisfying and should qualify as a euphemism.

Mary's husband wasn't meeting her expectations.

TFD:

meet (someone's) expectations
To be as good as or have the qualities that someone predicted, expected, or hoped for.

We'd heard so many good things about the new restaurant, but the food didn't meet our expectations at all.
I'm so excited for the latest movie in the series—I hope it meets my expectations!

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  • Context is everything here and the OP's quote is more often than not referenced to the intimate aspect of a conjugal relationship. My comment can't get more euphemistic than that, what?
    – Peter Point
    Commented Oct 16, 2016 at 8:23
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    @PeterPoint, I disagree. My answer's validity is independent of context. The downvoter's right to have their own opinion is acknowledged. I hope my response is euphemistic enough! :)
    – alwayslearning
    Commented Oct 16, 2016 at 8:30
  • Yes, it is. Most satisfying; it met my expectations to the full! :)
    – Peter Point
    Commented Oct 16, 2016 at 9:01

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