unsuccessful

adjective

un·​suc·​cess·​ful ˌən-sək-ˈses-fəl How to pronounce unsuccessful (audio)
: not successful : not meeting with or producing success
unsuccessfully adverb

Examples of unsuccessful in a Sentence

His last novel was unsuccessful. an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The meeting will be another attempt to approve legislation to fund the government, following seven previous unsuccessful attempts. Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025 But all of the most direct methods of searching for IQ genes were unsuccessful. Eric Turkheimer, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2025 Efforts to settle the case before trial were unsuccessful. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025 Lake Worth police officers and animal control officers searched the area to find the suspect and the brown pit bull but were unsuccessful, police said. Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful

Word History

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsuccessful was in 1617

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Cite this Entry

“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsuccessful. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

unsuccessful

adjective
un·​suc·​cess·​ful ˌən(t)-sək-ˈses-fəl How to pronounce unsuccessful (audio)
: not successful : not having or producing success
unsuccessfully adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unsuccessful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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