as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
an unhappily married couple being counseled by a professional
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unhappily
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
One of the youngest of the MacKenzie brood (and often seen with sister Janet), Jocasta Cameron is sometimes callously honest, perpetually jealous of the attention Ellen gets, and unhappily married to an old man.
—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unhappily
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
One of the youngest of the MacKenzie brood (and often seen with sister Janet), Jocasta Cameron is sometimes callously honest, perpetually jealous of the attention Ellen gets, and unhappily married to an old man.
—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unhappily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhappily
Adverb
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Customers complained, some bitterly, and AMD heard and granted their demands.
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Those fans erupted when Harry Kane scored on a penalty kick in the 12th minute, and groaned bitterly when Baturina scored the equalizer some 20 minutes later.
Adverb
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But there are glimmers of hope, particularly after the first two (sadly) table-setting episodes, that there is some honest-to-goodness storytelling momentum here.
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This is sadly part of a larger trend by the mayor in putting his movement ahead of the best interests of his constituents.
Adverb
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Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.
Adverb
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The Battle of Karbala — where a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad died defying tyranny — feels painfully present for residents of Nabatieh as Israel continues to occupy southern Lebanon.
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Iranian officials are also painfully aware that their country was bombed during previous periods of negotiations with the US since the war that broke out in late February.
Adverb
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So is the moment early in the film when Mary mournfully looks on as her long-ago home faces demolition to make room for a big, featureless residential complex.
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Things are getting hot in Kayce's love life, even after the widower mournfully visits the East Camp memorial to his beloved wife, Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille).
Cite this Entry
“Unhappily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhappily. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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