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.
As in the first case, life-saving efforts were unsuccessful. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025 According to the coroner, the umbilical cord was not cut and an attempt to deliver the placenta at an unknown time the next morning was unsuccessful. David Chiu, People.com, 17 Aug. 2025 Although previous appeals have been unsuccessful, Arias has consistently expressed a desire to overturn her conviction. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2025 If all appeals are unsuccessful, Pittman would be executed at Florida State Prison in Starke using lethal injection. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsuccessful. Accessed 27 Aug. 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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