unhappy

1 of 2

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, or that

They 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

unhappiness

2 of 2

noun

un·​happiness

"+

: the quality or state of being unhappy : misery, sadness

Synonyms of unhappy

Adjective

• sad
• depressed
• miserable
• heartbroken
• bad
• upset
• sorry
• worried
• melancholy
• disappointed

Examples of unhappy in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

So this became, like, a collective therapy session for everyone unhappy with the government. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Their heated exchange on the field lasted more than two minutes, with Jones unhappy that Szoboszlai had given the captain’s armband to Tsimikas rather than him when the Hungary midfielder was substituted 13 minutes from time. — James Pearce, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026

But the weeks of negotiations and offers the Bucs made before the deadline have left him in an unhappy place. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026

Even Republicans appear to be increasingly unhappy with the prolonged conflict. — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 29 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English unhappynes, from unhappy + -nes -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unhappy

• chappie
• happy
• nappy
• pappy
• sappy
• scrappy
• snappy

Kids 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

-ˈhap-ə-lē

adverb

unhappiness

-ˈhap-i-nəs

noun