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, or thatThey 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
Sources have told Deadline that Fox was originally unhappy with the creative on Season 14 of the show, but collaborated with the creative team and was ultimately sated.
—
Peter White, Deadline, 8 May 2026
Edgecombe was allegedly unhappy with the officiating, and Sochan came over to troll the guard even further, according to Clutch Points.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
The overall impression is that several first-team players are unhappy, and that the situation has been brewing for some time.
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 5 May 2026
There were also rumblings that Banchero was unhappy with Mosley, which began as early as November and continued throughout the season.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
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Peter White, Deadline, 8 May 2026
Edgecombe was allegedly unhappy with the officiating, and Sochan came over to troll the guard even further, according to Clutch Points.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
The overall impression is that several first-team players are unhappy, and that the situation has been brewing for some time.
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 5 May 2026
There were also rumblings that Banchero was unhappy with Mosley, which began as early as November and continued throughout the season.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 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 9 May. 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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