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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unhappy
The one constant is the unhappy couple’s bleak surroundings.
—
Adam Solomons, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Rounding out the unhappy home — two times a week, anyway — is Rina (Monika Frajczyk), an undocumented Macedonian housekeeper who’s been half-persuaded and half-threatened by Chris into taking the job despite her horror at seeing Tommy trapped in the basement.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Both Ways on Netflix The Lovebirds In the 2020 adventure comedy The Lovebirds, Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani play an unhappy couple on the brink of splitting up.
—James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Opponents, however, remained unhappy with the process.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Adam Solomons, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Rounding out the unhappy home — two times a week, anyway — is Rina (Monika Frajczyk), an undocumented Macedonian housekeeper who’s been half-persuaded and half-threatened by Chris into taking the job despite her horror at seeing Tommy trapped in the basement.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Both Ways on Netflix The Lovebirds In the 2020 adventure comedy The Lovebirds, Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani play an unhappy couple on the brink of splitting up.
—James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Opponents, however, remained unhappy with the process.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhappy
Adjective
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But now, the King and the royal family have received very sad news that will change things going forward.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Shooting scenes in wide or medium shots that sometimes break into Hsiao-Lee’s harrowing point-of-view, cinematographer Yu Jing-Pin depicts a world without much color or hope, while sets by Huang Mei-Ching and Tu Shuo-Feng emphasize a sad and impoverished existence.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This was the unfortunate and tragic outcome.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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This latest ‘oopsie’ also fits an unfortunate pattern.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The concern expressed is that people are turning to AI for mental health advice and do not realize that (presumably) AI is unsuitable for that purpose.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The drastic drop in performance from the 2022 season points to the idea that the current generation of cars is unsuitable for the Briton.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Unemployment has stayed relatively low in part because of dampened demand for workers as well as a depressed supply (people aging out of the workforce as well as reductions in immigrant workers).—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
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This time producer Brad Ingelsby tapped Mark Ruffalo as a depressed and traumatized FBI agent leading a task force investigating a series of home invasions targeting drug dens in the area.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Also, unfavorable factors are the extension price tag that can top tens of billions of dollars annually, and eligibility that includes those making 400% the poverty rate.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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Two years before the Rule was finalized in 1944, the Supreme Court made unfavorable (unpublished) comments about a draft proposal permitting the government to take pretrial depositions.—
Robert Anello,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Production on the star's prior film, Being Mortal, was suspended by Searchlight Pictures in 2022 after a staffer filed a complaint against actor Bill Murray, alleging inappropriate behavior.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
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While Roblox has filters and moderation, kids can still be exposed to inappropriate language, scams, or unsafe conversations.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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These behaviors create miserable workplace cultures that lead to a big retention and employee engagement problem.—
Ellen Whitlock Baker,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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But the Broncos will look to confuse him with multiple looks and make the Titans one dimensional to make his life miserable.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Schools’ failure to follow IEPs has resulted in disastrous cases of educational neglect for students like Makenley and Maddox O’Connor.—
IndyStar,
IndyStar,
8 Sep. 2025
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The New York Jets sent that message to Rodgers following a disastrous two-year term.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhappy. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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