unhappily
adverb
un·hap·pi·ly
ˌən-ˈha-pə-lē 
1
: unfortunately sense 1
Unhappily, medicine has not yet found a cure …—
Diana Trilling
Diana Trilling2
: in an unhappy manner : without pleasure
practiced law unhappily for a few years
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
But a Democratic victory in 2026 is not likely to end this cycle, in which majorities hate how both parties handle immigration and ping-pong unhappily between them.
—Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
She's unhappily laid up right now after a hit and run car accident near her Cranston home.
—Gail Ciampa, The Providence Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
The film centers on Westley (Cary Elwes), a farmhand who goes on a noble quest to rescue his beloved Buttercup (Robin Wright) from the clutches of the loathsome Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon), to whom she's unhappily betrothed.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026
The Old Globe: ‘Hedda Gabler’ Film and stage star Katie Holmes will play the title role in a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 Norwegian psychological drama about an unhappily married and controlling woman whose plot to financially ruin her former lover goes horribly awry.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unhappily
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Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
She's unhappily laid up right now after a hit and run car accident near her Cranston home.
—Gail Ciampa, The Providence Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
The film centers on Westley (Cary Elwes), a farmhand who goes on a noble quest to rescue his beloved Buttercup (Robin Wright) from the clutches of the loathsome Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon), to whom she's unhappily betrothed.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026
The Old Globe: ‘Hedda Gabler’ Film and stage star Katie Holmes will play the title role in a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 Norwegian psychological drama about an unhappily married and controlling woman whose plot to financially ruin her former lover goes horribly awry.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unhappily
Cite this Entry
“Unhappily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unhappily. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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