unhappily

adverb

un·​hap·​pi·​ly ˌən-ˈha-pə-lē 

1

: unfortunately sense 1

Unhappily, medicine has not yet found a cure …

—Diana Trilling

2

: in an unhappy manner : without pleasure

practiced law unhappily for a few years

Synonyms of unhappily

• bitterly
• sadly
• sorrowfully
• painfully
• mournfully

Examples of unhappily in a Sentence

They were unhappily married for two years.

an unhappily married couple being counseled by a professional

Recent Examples on the Web

As the Chiefs marched to a second straight Super Bowl championship and their third in five seasons, Toney watched unhappily. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026

But its actual lead is Alice (Souheila Yacoub), a Frenchwoman unhappily married to Joseph’s older brother, Will (George Pullar). — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 10 July 2026

Wilde stars as one half of a struggling couple, unhappily married to a character played by Seth Rogen. — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026

Elizabeth Banks is Lindy Littlejohn, a seriously frustrated writer, unhappily if tumultuously married to Les (Matthew Macfadyen), a brilliant scientist. — Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 9 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unhappily

• happily