as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
with time the young woman got over the unhappiness caused by the breakup
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Recent Examples of unhappiness
The science is far from settled, and some studies suggest that tech doesn’t cause users’ unhappiness.
—
Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
The teacher retired from District 128 some time ago, and parents attended the meeting to demand accountability from administrators and express their unhappiness with the school and district's response to the allegations.
—Vince Floress, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Fitzpatrick, Miami’s 2018 first-round pick who was traded to Pittsburgh because of his unhappiness with the way he was being used at the time, never appeared thrilled about his return to the Dolphins after being traded back here from the Steelers last offseason.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
General symptoms experienced by people with this condition include disrupted sleep, dysphoria (a state of unease or unhappiness) and difficulty managing stress.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
This show is based on the movie starring Keri Russell as a small-town server whose extraordinary pies may be her ticket out of unhappiness.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Yet a longer war that pushed oil past $100 a barrel for an extended period would worsen inflation, at least temporarily, while slowing growth and intensifying Americans’ unhappiness with the cost of essentials.
—Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
No incidents have ever been reported, but one former member of the organization was unsurprised at the team’s unhappiness, comparing his experience with the plane to opening the door of a modern luxury car only to find amenities and seats inside that belong in a 40-year-old sedan.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
Often letters to the editor are scathing missives reflecting one’s political beliefs or unhappiness with a segment of society – the wealthy, the IRS, the insurance companies, law enforcement, etc.
—Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026
Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
The teacher retired from District 128 some time ago, and parents attended the meeting to demand accountability from administrators and express their unhappiness with the school and district's response to the allegations.
—Vince Floress, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Fitzpatrick, Miami’s 2018 first-round pick who was traded to Pittsburgh because of his unhappiness with the way he was being used at the time, never appeared thrilled about his return to the Dolphins after being traded back here from the Steelers last offseason.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
General symptoms experienced by people with this condition include disrupted sleep, dysphoria (a state of unease or unhappiness) and difficulty managing stress.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
This show is based on the movie starring Keri Russell as a small-town server whose extraordinary pies may be her ticket out of unhappiness.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Yet a longer war that pushed oil past $100 a barrel for an extended period would worsen inflation, at least temporarily, while slowing growth and intensifying Americans’ unhappiness with the cost of essentials.
—Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
No incidents have ever been reported, but one former member of the organization was unsurprised at the team’s unhappiness, comparing his experience with the plane to opening the door of a modern luxury car only to find amenities and seats inside that belong in a 40-year-old sedan.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
Often letters to the editor are scathing missives reflecting one’s political beliefs or unhappiness with a segment of society – the wealthy, the IRS, the insurance companies, law enforcement, etc.
—Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhappiness
Noun
-
Relieved of their blindfolds, the men now wore heavy rucksacks filled with colored rocks representing their anger (red), guilt and shame (black), and sadness (blue).—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Reaction to the news Monday that the Connecticut Sun WNBA team is officially being moved to Houston was of sadness and regret in Connecticut, especially amongst those who had tried to keep the professional women’s basketball team in the state over the last year.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Growing up on a farm in Wabasha, Minnesota, one of 18 children, Bea milked cows and attended a one-room schoolhouse during the great depression.—
Irene Gonzalez,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Hoang models the potential sales of these drugs by using Johnson & Johnson's Spravato, an intranasal ketamine derivative first approved to address treatment-resistant depression in 2019 , as a case study.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The film’s empathetic interest in individual, often eccentric human lives gives it a warmth that overrides the underlying melancholy of the material, making for a pleasingly unsentimental crowdpleaser.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Some acknowledged the possibility that melancholy could be inherited.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhappiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhappiness. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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