unhappy
adjective
un·hap·py
ˌən-ˈha-pē 
1
: not fortunate : unlucky
an unhappy coincidence
3
a
: causing or subject to misfortune : inauspicious
b
: infelicitous, inappropriate
an unhappy choice
unhappiness
noun
Synonyms
- bad
- blue
- brokenhearted
- cast down
- crestfallen
- dejected
- depressed
- despondent
- disconsolate
- doleful
- down
- down in the mouth
- downcast
- downhearted
- droopy
- forlorn
- gloomy
- glum
- hangdog
- heartbroken
- heartsick
- heartsore
- heavyhearted
- inconsolable
- joyless
- low
- low-spirited
- melancholic
- melancholy
- miserable
- mournful
- sad
- saddened
- sorrowful
- sorry
- woebegone
- woeful
- wretched
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
Raised in a conservative, Christian household, Jordan was unhappy to learn Wood would be her AP English teacher back in 2019, Jordan’s junior year.
—
Hannah Natanson, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Sep. 2023
The local Arab militia was unhappy, and there was sporadic violence thereafter.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2023
Smith didn’t seem unhappy to get pushed after beating San Jose State and UC Davis by a collective count of 97-24.
—Ndaschel, oregonlive, 16 Sep. 2023
Servers are reporting an increase in abuse from diners—just last month, a restaurant employee was beaten unconscious by a group of unhappy customers in Memphis, according to local reports.
—Elena Soderblom, The New Republic, 14 Sep. 2023
When taxi drivers, unhappy with municipal policies affecting them, slowed traffic and rallied outside City Hall, the commissioner likened them to terrorists and posted sharpshooters on nearby rooftops.
—Clyde Haberman, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Players were also unhappy with Vilda, who some cast as a symbol of Spanish indifference to women’s soccer.
—Beatriz Ríos, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023
Distanced from his closest sibling by five years, Pratt was effectively an only child, and home was an unhappy place.
—Hazlitt, 6 Sep. 2023
But in what seems to be an unhappy trend, this Eugene place also recently closed.
—Kturnqui, oregonlive, 1 Sep. 2023
See More
Hannah Natanson, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Sep. 2023
The local Arab militia was unhappy, and there was sporadic violence thereafter.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2023
Smith didn’t seem unhappy to get pushed after beating San Jose State and UC Davis by a collective count of 97-24.
—Ndaschel, oregonlive, 16 Sep. 2023
Servers are reporting an increase in abuse from diners—just last month, a restaurant employee was beaten unconscious by a group of unhappy customers in Memphis, according to local reports.
—Elena Soderblom, The New Republic, 14 Sep. 2023
When taxi drivers, unhappy with municipal policies affecting them, slowed traffic and rallied outside City Hall, the commissioner likened them to terrorists and posted sharpshooters on nearby rooftops.
—Clyde Haberman, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Players were also unhappy with Vilda, who some cast as a symbol of Spanish indifference to women’s soccer.
—Beatriz Ríos, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023
Distanced from his closest sibling by five years, Pratt was effectively an only child, and home was an unhappy place.
—Hazlitt, 6 Sep. 2023
But in what seems to be an unhappy trend, this Eugene place also recently closed.
—Kturnqui, oregonlive, 1 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unhappy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of unhappy was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near unhappy
Cite this Entry
“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unhappy. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
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
adverb
-ˈhap-ə-lē
unhappiness
noun
-ˈhap-i-nəs
More from Merriam-Webster on unhappy
Nglish: Translation of unhappy for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of unhappy for Arabic Speakers
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