unsuccessful
adjective
un·suc·cess·ful
ˌən-sək-ˈses-fəl 
: not successful : not meeting with or producing success
Examples of unsuccessful in a Sentence
His last novel was unsuccessful.
an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves
Recent Examples on the Web
Investigators said that an initial PIT maneuver was unsuccessful, but a second one caused the truck to crash into another vehicle and roll over onto its side – an incident that was caught on home surveillance video.
—
CBS News, 14 May 2026
Jeremy Brandon Johnson, 53, of Eveleth, was pronounced dead at the scene after lifesaving measures were unsuccessful.
—Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
Seven years later, after an unsuccessful stint with the New York Giants, Morton led the Broncos to a matchup against his former team.
—Pat Graham, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2026
Efforts to identify biomarkers for these diseases in the blood have also been largely unsuccessful, and so biomarkers aren’t used to diagnose these conditions.
—Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
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CBS News, 14 May 2026
Jeremy Brandon Johnson, 53, of Eveleth, was pronounced dead at the scene after lifesaving measures were unsuccessful.
—Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
Seven years later, after an unsuccessful stint with the New York Giants, Morton led the Broncos to a matchup against his former team.
—Pat Graham, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2026
Efforts to identify biomarkers for these diseases in the blood have also been largely unsuccessful, and so biomarkers aren’t used to diagnose these conditions.
—Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Cite this Entry
“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsuccessful. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unsuccessful
adjective
un·suc·cess·ful
ˌən(t)-sək-ˈses-fəl
: not successful : not having or producing success
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