unhappy

adjective

un·​hap·​py ˌən-ˈha-pē How to pronounce unhappy (audio)
1
: not fortunate : unlucky
an unhappy coincidence
2
: not cheerful or glad : sad, wretched
3
a
: causing or subject to misfortune : inauspicious
b
: infelicitous, inappropriate
an unhappy choice
unhappiness noun

Examples of unhappy in a Sentence

I can see that he's unhappy, but I don't know why. I've never seen her looking so unhappy. For three unhappy days we were all stuck in the house because of the blizzard. an unhappy choice of career The movie's hero meets an unhappy fate.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Clearly, the receiver is unhappy, and it has been shown through his body language and comments. James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 Mitrovic may be unhappy with the way his defenders allowed that goal despite having good numbers in the box, but his team responded well and were able to go in level at the break thanks to a Cole Campbell penalty in stoppage time at the end of the half. The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025 But her next great achievement was her turn as Mary, the dissatisfied writer trapped in an unhappy affair with a married man in Allen’s Manhattan. Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025 Some workplace analysts are unhappy about both of these trends. Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unhappy

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unhappy was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unhappy. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

unhappy

adjective
un·​hap·​py ˌən-ˈhap-ē How to pronounce unhappy (audio)
1
: not fortunate : unlucky
an unhappy mistake
2
: not cheerful : sad
3
: inappropriate
an unhappy color combination
unhappily
-ˈhap-ə-lē
adverb
unhappiness
-ˈhap-i-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unhappy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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