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.
Barca even took a legal case against the regulations to a Catalan court but were unsuccessful. Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 19 June 2025 Their efforts were unsuccessful, paving the way for Read's retrial this spring. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 18 June 2025 An attempt to contact her attorney was unsuccessful Wednesday. Sean Neumann, People.com, 18 June 2025 The family's attempts to halt Oliva's deportation were unsuccessful. Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 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 30 Jun. 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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