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
The decade was an unhappy panorama of inflation, gas shortages, military humiliation, and revelations of political corruption.
—
Ann Manov,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
On Tuesday, Paul urged Americans who are unhappy with the justices’ ruling to support his proposal.
—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
30 June 2026
Polls show voters are unhappy with his handling of the economy.
—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
Maybe all girls are alike, happy or unhappy, after all.
—
Lillian Fishman,
New Yorker,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Ann Manov,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
On Tuesday, Paul urged Americans who are unhappy with the justices’ ruling to support his proposal.
—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
30 June 2026
Polls show voters are unhappy with his handling of the economy.
—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
Maybe all girls are alike, happy or unhappy, after all.
—
Lillian Fishman,
New Yorker,
27 June 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 2 Jul. 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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