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
Relevance
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
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 unhappy
Galino is unhappy with how Jimenez is running his territory, and thinks Tommy can help the cartel get into the oil business.
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
Though the Raiders’ 30-29 overtime defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars represented progress, given that Las Vegas was coming off one of the most flaccid offensive performances of the 21st century, Sunday’s unhappy ending left those shedding silver-and-black uniforms feeling empty.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The country’s apparel exporters were unhappy with the move, with one former vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association speculating that the new charges were designed to make port operations look more profitable before the foreign operators took over the lease.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Americans are also broadly unhappy with the state of the country, with 68% saying things are going badly.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
Though the Raiders’ 30-29 overtime defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars represented progress, given that Las Vegas was coming off one of the most flaccid offensive performances of the 21st century, Sunday’s unhappy ending left those shedding silver-and-black uniforms feeling empty.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The country’s apparel exporters were unhappy with the move, with one former vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association speculating that the new charges were designed to make port operations look more profitable before the foreign operators took over the lease.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Americans are also broadly unhappy with the state of the country, with 68% saying things are going badly.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhappy
Adjective
-
Everyone's a little sad in The Holdovers, Alexander Payne's charmingly sour comedy about a student stuck at his New England boarding school over the holidays with only his grouchy professor (Paul Giamatti) and the school cook (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) for company.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The 25-year-old wide receiver is sad to see his teammates go, but trusts the vision of the New York front office.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Liverpool were competitive in the first half, and perhaps unfortunate to see Virgil van Dijk’s equaliser ruled out for interference from an offside position, but City pressed home their advantage through the brilliance of left-winger Jeremy Doku.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The story takes place at a grand country house where the guests have an unfortunate habit of dying, or nearly dying, under seemingly unrelated circumstances.—
Anna Russell,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
That wing is usually reserved for prisoners who are considered unsuitable to be kept among the prison’s general population, usually out of fears for their safety.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
-
But the movie only gives tiny little tastes of 1982 rock culture, and why Nebraska was so comically unsuitable for airplay.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
During the week, Aluko had described lying in bed at the height of the controversy, depressed and unable to eat.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Perhaps this depressed valuation is what caught the eye of Carl Icahn.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The spotlight increased after a disastrous interview with CBS to promote the legendary coach’s book.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Second goal breaks Charlotte’s back The second half opened with a disastrous sequence for Charlotte.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The class counsel has argued that objectors are raising either points that were already decided, inappropriate for this forum, or unreasonable to address.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
But some former students recently accused Gabbard, whose name is on the high school gym floor, of inappropriate conduct.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
That was pointed out during Chipotle’s earnings report, which showed miserable results at the end of October.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Caesar and Coca were soon joined on the show by the diminutive Howard Morris, whom Caesar could hoist from the ground and glare at face to face, and by Carl Reiner, tall like Caesar but as happy as Sid was miserable—the ideal second banana.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
As analysis, that’s not wrong, but where’s the sting of it inside this bizarre bonbon of a musical?—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Despite his brilliance and intellect, he was prevented from having a full life by being born on the wrong side of Israel’s separation fence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhappy. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share