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 Encino has been a hot spot for home break-ins recently, but burglars were unsuccessful in getting into the house of Reggie Bush. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2024 In their second season under historically unsuccessful manager Pedro Grifol, the White Sox stumbled out of the gate 1-9 before finishing April 6-24. Phil Rogers, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024 Efforts by Fox News Digital to obtain a comment from Los Alamos before publication were unsuccessful. Morgan Phillips, Fox News, 11 Sep. 2024 He’s believed to be residing in Saudi Arabia but CNN’s efforts to reach Bayoumi were unsuccessful. Lauren Del Valle, CNN, 11 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unsuccessful 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsuccessful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsuccessful was in 1617

Dictionary Entries Near unsuccessful

Cite this Entry

“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsuccessful. Accessed 15 Sep. 2024.

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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