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
But, after some initial drilling pilot programs were unsuccessful, dreams of Greenland’s black gold fell by the wayside when the oil industry infamously went bust in the ’80s.
—
Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
The Swiss government has also been desperately trying to secure a lower tariff, but has so far been unsuccessful.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2025
The two-point try was unsuccessful, but at 17-12, the game was within reach if Houston could figure something out on defense.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Maxxine Dupri was unsuccessful in her attempt to win the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship from Becky Lynch.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
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Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
The Swiss government has also been desperately trying to secure a lower tariff, but has so far been unsuccessful.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2025
The two-point try was unsuccessful, but at 17-12, the game was within reach if Houston could figure something out on defense.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Maxxine Dupri was unsuccessful in her attempt to win the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship from Becky Lynch.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Cite this Entry
“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsuccessful. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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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