unhappily

adverb

ˌən-ˈha-pə-lē How to pronounce unhappily (audio)
Definition of unhappilynext
as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief an unhappily married couple being counseled by a professional

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 unhappily How many of my life decisions have been made in reaction to feeling unhappily married? — Liana Finck, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026 Even at the elite level, some runners thrive under the long-term guidance of a coach, others seem to bounce unhappily from coach to coach, and a few—Frank Shorter, Patrick Sang, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen are notable examples—have mostly preferred to call their own shots. — Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 22 Mar. 2026 Even high productivity numbers may not be enough to pay the government’s debts, and there will be many people unhappily and under-employed. — Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026 The film centers on Westley (Cary Elwes), a farmhand who goes on a noble quest to rescue his beloved Buttercup (Robin Wright) from the clutches of the loathsome Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon), to whom she's unhappily betrothed. — James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unhappily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhappily
  1. bitterly
  2. sadly
  3. sorrowfully
  4. painfully
  5. mournfully
Adverb
  • Alberto learns that his grandfather—whom his mother, Teresa (Lola Dueñas), was bitterly estranged from and never introduced her son to—has recently died and left him a curious inheritance, a mystery that needs untangling.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The race is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu's nearly unbroken 17-year rule, which had left Israelis bitterly divided on a host of issues even before the deadliest attack in the country's history.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of bitterly
Adverb
  • Without these vital exchanges informing his state of mind, his volatility seems arbitrary (though sadly, neither version manages to make his comedic quips really land).
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Comms executive Shari Rosenblum is departing 20th Television and 20th Television Animation after nearly three decades, Variety has sadly learned.
    — Joe Otterson, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of sadly
Adverb
  • Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Definition of sorrowfully
Adverb
  • Gray has always displayed a probing visual style, boldly confrontational yet painfully tender.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Reich played Boss Gibbons, the painfully Gen-Z co-worker of Megan Stalter’s expat Jessica, in his first-ever screen acting role.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of painfully
Adverb
  • Fra Fee, as Joe, has a slightly harder task, since his role is almost entirely reactive; while Ethan bangs on mournfully about, effectively, the dangers of shagging your brother’s wife — well, who would have thought?
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Mayfield watched mournfully in his kitchen while the rest of the family sat in the living room with the big screen next to a Christmas tree.
    — John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
Definition of mournfully

Browse Nearby Words

unhandy
unhappily
unhappiness
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Cite this Entry

“Unhappily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhappily. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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