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
Gravenberch eventually goes long towards Salah, but the pass is unsuccessful.
—
The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The president has secured buy-in from key Arab and Muslim states, his efforts energized by his criticism of Israel’s audacious and unsuccessful effort to assassinate top Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya in an airstrike in the Qatari capital of Doha.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2025
Police added that the female passenger, 34, was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead after unsuccessful lifesaving efforts from medical professionals and first responders.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
The pose Harris struck and held through her unsuccessful 2024 campaign for the White House is called the good soldier.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
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The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The president has secured buy-in from key Arab and Muslim states, his efforts energized by his criticism of Israel’s audacious and unsuccessful effort to assassinate top Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya in an airstrike in the Qatari capital of Doha.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2025
Police added that the female passenger, 34, was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead after unsuccessful lifesaving efforts from medical professionals and first responders.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
The pose Harris struck and held through her unsuccessful 2024 campaign for the White House is called the good soldier.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 3 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 13 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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