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
The story centers on Angine (Zar Amir), an affluent but unhappy woman who compulsively shops in a luxury department store.
—
Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 30 Nov. 2025
However, Sumrall’s social media came under fire from unhappy Florida fans who were clearly displeased with the hire.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
Floyd also addressed the fact that some fans were unhappy with his character's demise and how it was handled.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 29 Nov. 2025
But an unhappy Musk might mean a less-than-fully-motivated Musk.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
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Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 30 Nov. 2025
However, Sumrall’s social media came under fire from unhappy Florida fans who were clearly displeased with the hire.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
Floyd also addressed the fact that some fans were unhappy with his character's demise and how it was handled.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 29 Nov. 2025
But an unhappy Musk might mean a less-than-fully-motivated Musk.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Nov. 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 3 Dec. 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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