UN-SUCCESSFUL Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

unsuccessful

adjective

ˌən-sək-ˈses-fəl

Definition of unsuccessful

as in futile

producing no results an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves

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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.

Recent Examples of unsuccessful The crisis traces in part to JTBC’s costly, unsuccessful bet on strong viewership for the Milan Winter Olympics earlier this year, layered on top of a slumping advertising business. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 July 2026 Unions made various attempts to stop the return-to-office order from going into effect before July 1, but those were unsuccessful. — William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026 She was found dead at her apartment in London, with the Poplar Coroner's Court confirming to PEOPLE at the time that police and paramedics tried to revive her but were unsuccessful. — Adam England, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 Hanna devoted much of it to his unsuccessful effort to force the state to disclose records about its lethal-injection protocol. — Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsuccessful

Adjective

By the late 1970s, the brothers were exhausted by the work of being professional Rosenbergs, and starting to worry that the effort was futile.

— Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
On appeal, the Crown argued the trial judge erred by declining to order a fitness assessment before considering a stay and by concluding such an assessment would be futile.

— Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026

Definition of futile

Adjective

What remains that haven’t been scavenged have decomposed to the point where DNA analysis is difficult and all but useless in Gaza, where there are no functioning laboratories able to test and compare samples.

— Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Jennifer, for her part, is pretty sure that the information on Dennis’s burner phone is completely useless.

— Erin Qualey, Vulture, 8 July 2026

Definition of useless

Adjective

As children, Vi and Jinx lose their parents in an abortive revolution in Zaun, and years later find themselves on opposite sides of an unfolding power struggle between the two city-states.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 22 May 2026
Those forces have remained in the country, albeit now with more direct control from the Kremlin (after Wagner’s bombastic chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led an abortive coup against Moscow and paid the ultimate price for it).

— Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 11 May 2026

Definition of abortive

Browse Nearby Words

unsubtle

unsuccessful

unsuitability

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“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsuccessful. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of unsuccessful

adjective

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