unhappy
adjective
un·hap·py
ˌən-ˈha-pē 
1
a
: not cheerful or glad : sad, wretched
didn't know why the child was so unhappy
I left the store an unhappy [=dissatisfied] customer.
—often used with with,about, orthatThey were unhappy with the way things turned out.
The children were unhappy about going back to school.
I'm unhappy that my best friend is moving.
b
: causing or involving feelings of sadness : not pleasant or joyful
an unhappy marriage/childhood
spent several unhappy hours stuck at the airport
2
: not fortunate : unlucky
an unhappy coincidence
3
a
: causing or subject to misfortune : inauspicious
a particularly unhappy moment for the story to leak
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
Well, the guys that wore suits, the executives, were very unhappy with it.
—
Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
Similarly, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy did not speak amid reports that Trump is also unhappy with them, for different reasons, nor did Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who is under an ethical investigation.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 29 Jan. 2026
The candidates appeal to different Democratic bases — Crockett to Black voters, Talarico to rural voters unhappy with Republicans.
—Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Domingo Morel, a professor at New York University who studies state takeovers of local schools, said most local residents wind up unhappy with the methods used by state interventionists and the results.
—Bri Hatch, Chalkbeat, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
Similarly, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy did not speak amid reports that Trump is also unhappy with them, for different reasons, nor did Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who is under an ethical investigation.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 29 Jan. 2026
The candidates appeal to different Democratic bases — Crockett to Black voters, Talarico to rural voters unhappy with Republicans.
—Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Domingo Morel, a professor at New York University who studies state takeovers of local schools, said most local residents wind up unhappy with the methods used by state interventionists and the results.
—Bri Hatch, Chalkbeat, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Cite this Entry
“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unhappy. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unhappy
adjective
un·hap·py
ˌən-ˈhap-ē
1
: not fortunate : unlucky
an unhappy mistake
2
: not cheerful : sad
3
: inappropriate
an unhappy color combination
unhappily
adverb
-ˈhap-ə-lē
unhappiness
noun
-ˈhap-i-nəs
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