unhappy

adjective

ˌən-ˈha-pē How to pronounce unhappy (audio)
Definition of unhappynext
1
as in sad
feeling unhappiness he's been unhappy ever since his family's move, which took him away from all his friends

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfortunate
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck she's trying to forget that whole unhappy attempt to start a business

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unsuitable
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation a guest unintentionally made unhappy reference to what is a painful situation for the family

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unhappy Prince William is said to be pretty unhappy about the situation. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 One potential troublespot would be if very large storms coincide with super high king tides, which — due to an unhappy cosmic coincidence related to lunar tide cycles — are set to come this winter. — Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 His wife remained deeply unhappy, and their connection deteriorated. — David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026 Channel 4 insiders are certainly not unhappy with the outcome. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhappy
  1. sad
  2. unfortunate
  3. unsuitable
  4. depressed
  5. disastrous
  6. inappropriate
  7. miserable
  8. wrong
Adjective
  • This formula carried his last offering, the funny and sad, Colin Farrell-led The Banshees of Inisherin to nine Oscar nominations in 2022.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Hunter said it’s been sad to see photos of the devastation wrought by the fire.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • There are no Cubs players involved in the TikTok series, the Cubs told me, which is unfortunate since Crow-Armstrong has acting in his DNA — his mother and father are both actors — and probably would be at least as good as Damon.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Every mosquito has a type Count me among the unfortunate souls who are mosquito magnets; something about my body chemistry is irresistible to those tiny bloodsucking fiends.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Guy acknowledges, though, that this could lead to the level of chaos depicted in a memorable 2009 episode of The Office, where staff show up in an array of unsuitable outfits.
    — Chloe Veltman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
  • That could allow geothermal projects to operate in locations that have traditionally been considered unsuitable for geothermal development.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsuitable
Adjective
  • Lindsay Clancy was depressed, prosecutor says During more than four weeks of testimony, jurors heard differing views from medical experts about Clancy’s mental state after Callan’s birth.
    — Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Many established theatrical distributors are also wary of the current depressed market for documentaries.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of depressed
Adjective
  • Arjun Poudel, a health reporter in Nepal, was commuting to the offices of the Kathmandu Post, in the country’s capital, when messages started coming in about a disastrous flood in his home town, close to the border with China.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Since a disastrous debut, the rookie right-hander has allowed just two runs over his last 9 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • Justice Department attorneys have argued that a restraining order would be inappropriate and that the legal challenge was premature, as federal agencies had yet to issue public guidance on how the president's directive would be implemented.
    — Kristina Cooke, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The morality police, which are often accused of extreme policies, recently announced a statewide ban in Sokoto on the use of DJs at events, as well as inappropriate haircuts, extravagant bridal gifts and playing music on public transport.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of inappropriate
Adjective
  • Young has discussed that miserable 2003 big-league season with his players.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Extreme mountain climbing has never looked anything but miserable from the distance of a screening room, and The Other Side delivers mightily on all that scraping, straining, gasping toil.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of miserable
Adjective
  • Remember, taking the wrong benefit at the wrong time is always smaller and forever.
    — Thomas Hager, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Therefore, therapy should do more than help people identify what’s wrong with their relationships.
    — David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrong

Browse Nearby Words

unhappiness
unhappy
unharmed
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Cite this Entry

“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhappy. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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