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
Rae Burrell netted a career-high 22 points, but coach Lynne Roberts was unhappy with the offense overall.
—
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
The Florida State Board of Administration, which oversees investments for the retirement fund of public employees, is among the Palo Alto Networks shareholders that have been unhappy with its pay decisions in recent years.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
Bucephalus, the gnu, was the only one of the new arrivals at Grant park who appeared unhappy Tuesday morning.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 2 June 2026
Pulte, the current head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, will replace Tulsi Gabbard, who announced her departure last month after an unhappy and unempowered spell as the DNI.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
The Florida State Board of Administration, which oversees investments for the retirement fund of public employees, is among the Palo Alto Networks shareholders that have been unhappy with its pay decisions in recent years.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
Bucephalus, the gnu, was the only one of the new arrivals at Grant park who appeared unhappy Tuesday morning.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 2 June 2026
Pulte, the current head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, will replace Tulsi Gabbard, who announced her departure last month after an unhappy and unempowered spell as the DNI.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhappy
Adjective
-
The other six ascended to the highest office in the land as a result of the dysfunction that has made Peru a punch line in political-science circles, a sad story of ungovernability played on a loop.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
-
There’s a one-note quality to the film’s comedy that grows steadily, even deliberately, more abrasive over two hours, but the sad, brash, gradually shrinking bigness of the personalities at its center holds your attention.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
There’s no question that this unfortunate cocktail of corruption, inefficiency, and simple incompetence is holding the country back.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
-
Unfortunately, going cold turkey off a central nervous system depressant like GHB has some pretty unfortunate side-effects.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
There are significant worries that AI can readily go off the rails or otherwise dispense unsuitable or even egregiously inappropriate mental health advice.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
The trend was further compounded in koalas with chlamydiosis -- a common bacterial disease among the species -- and those found in unsuitable conditions, Mella said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Wright’s comments come as the latest data from IMF’s PortWatch showed traffic remains depressed through Hormuz, a key route for exporting crude from the Middle East.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
-
As anxiety has mounted about depressed entry-level hiring, with Gen Z crowds even booing luminaries such as Eric Schmidt amid commencement speeches touting AI, Dimon has given warm but blunt advice to ambitious young workers.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Caitlin Clark was part of another disastrous collapse on Saturday night, as the Indiana Fever blew a double-digit lead to the New York Liberty.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
-
At that pace, even a tiny micrometeoroid has the ability to impart a significant kinetic blow upon striking a spacecraft en route to the moon, with potentially disastrous results for the astronaut crew inside.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
Others, however, said naming the animal after the president was inappropriate.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
Enforcement of inappropriate corner crossing will continue to be difficult for FWP, but Callaghan notes that enforcement is only one part of the relationship balance that FWP Director Clark noted between private property rights and public-access rights.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The sea was rough, windy, and miserable.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
The Angels thumped the Colorado Rockies 11-4, but one good night cannot change the trajectory of a miserable season.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Wirskye then asked who was wrong that day.—
Dawn White,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
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Lauren McCormick, a spokeswoman for travel insurance provider Squaremouth, says your phone is the most efficient tool for protecting your travel investment if things go wrong.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhappy. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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