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
Though the Raiders’ 30-29 overtime defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars represented progress, given that Las Vegas was coming off one of the most flaccid offensive performances of the 21st century, Sunday’s unhappy ending left those shedding silver-and-black uniforms feeling empty.
—
Michael Silver, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The country’s apparel exporters were unhappy with the move, with one former vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association speculating that the new charges were designed to make port operations look more profitable before the foreign operators took over the lease.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Americans are also broadly unhappy with the state of the country, with 68% saying things are going badly.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
During the video, the Labrador can be seen sitting on the dog bed and watching the puppies with a very unhappy expression.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Michael Silver, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The country’s apparel exporters were unhappy with the move, with one former vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association speculating that the new charges were designed to make port operations look more profitable before the foreign operators took over the lease.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Americans are also broadly unhappy with the state of the country, with 68% saying things are going badly.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
During the video, the Labrador can be seen sitting on the dog bed and watching the puppies with a very unhappy expression.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Cite this Entry
“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unhappy. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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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