1
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
he's been unhappy ever since his family's move, which took him away from all his friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfortunate
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
she's trying to forget that whole unhappy attempt to start a business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unsuitable
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
a guest unintentionally made unhappy reference to what is a painful situation for the family
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unhappy
As a sideshow, Arsenal took umbrage with the pitch at the Metropolitano Stadium, unhappy with the length of the turf and the extent to which it was being watered (people were actually pictured measuring individual blades of grass ahead of kick-off, above).
—
Phil Hay, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The White House has heard from unhappy Gulf and European allies about the strait’s closure and the unwelcome prospect of future Iranian control.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2026
Inevitably, the next governor is going to make some people unhappy.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Alex Cora was clearly unhappy towards the end.
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Phil Hay, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The White House has heard from unhappy Gulf and European allies about the strait’s closure and the unwelcome prospect of future Iranian control.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2026
Inevitably, the next governor is going to make some people unhappy.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Alex Cora was clearly unhappy towards the end.
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhappy
Adjective
-
As major college athletics continues to shift into for-profit, these types of sad measures are expected to continue, and private equity will continue to creep in.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
-
And such a sad story for Positano, and this whole region.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lee said the incident is especially unfortunate, given the good work VCH does.—
Deborah Vankin,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
This is unfortunate and, from your telling, needlessly aggressive.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The treatments were carried out at Ali’s semi-detached home in Leicester, which was described by investigators and witnesses as unsanitary and unsuitable for clinical care, the news outlet reported.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
The team found that several 2D materials praised for their electronic properties may become unsuitable once they are built into real devices.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Researchers believe inbreeding led to depressed survival rates in pups.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Sam is very depressed and feels lonely and isolated.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Too much of it can be disastrous for the local ecosystems, leading to issues like algal blooms.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
-
The Lakers coach couldn’t even sub fast enough before Ayton’s two-handed frustration shove of Oklahoma City guard Ajay Mitchell put a disappointing punctuation mark on a disastrous 19-second stretch for the Lakers starting center.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Adjective
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In a recent speech, Thomas tied the nation’s highest ideals to a conservative vision of limited government — and launched a broadside on progressivism seen by critics as unfair and inappropriate.—
Lindsay Whitehurst,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
The complaint mentioned that the head coach had maintained an inappropriate relationship with a UAB student-athlete, which included the coach allegedly sleeping at the player's residence on different occasions.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Amid the Wave’s miserable season that followed both on and off the field, Shaw asked for a trade to the North Carolina Courage, which was granted ahead of the 2025 season.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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The Jets finished last in rushing attempts in a wholly miserable campaign.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The challenge these proposals aim to address is real — but trying to hold back the tide is the wrong answer.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
In a 4-3 ruling, the court said the legislature followed the wrong process for putting the question, an amendment to the state constitution, on the ballot.—
Larry Kaplow,
NPR,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhappy. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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