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

• 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

Ibsen’s title character is a spoiled, headstrong young woman who, newly and unhappily married to a dull scholar, enacts a Machiavellian scheme to advance his career and her social standing, with catastrophic results. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025

In season 3 of The Gilded Age, Gladys unhappily marries the Duke of Buckingham. —Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 11 Aug. 2025

One of the youngest of the MacKenzie brood (and often seen with sister Janet), Jocasta Cameron is sometimes callously honest, perpetually jealous of the attention Ellen gets, and unhappily married to an old man. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025

These checks on presidential powers have not only been heeded by the men in power, however unhappily, but have become part of case law. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unhappily

• happily