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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unhappy
The contrast between the two images highlights the dog’s visibly unhappy expression following the unexpected and unnecessary haircut.
—
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The Star-Telegram talked to unhappy customers on B&N’s last day in downtown.
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
The 28-year-old receiver is reportedly unhappy with his situation in Philadelphia, despite winning a Super Bowl a little over a year ago.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
The ghoulish ending is not unhappy.
—Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The Star-Telegram talked to unhappy customers on B&N’s last day in downtown.
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
The 28-year-old receiver is reportedly unhappy with his situation in Philadelphia, despite winning a Super Bowl a little over a year ago.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
The ghoulish ending is not unhappy.
—Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhappy
Adjective
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And there is a beautiful human element to it that is kind of, at its core, a little sad.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The vlogger Jordan Cheyenne, for one, wrecked her sharenting career by accidentally posting footage of herself coaching her son, who was distraught over the family’s sick puppy, to make a specific kind of sad face for YouTube.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Russian ambassador to Libya hung out in my room, as did a Russian kid named Konstantin with an unfortunate stutter and endearing affection for the American rock band Metallica.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The film is a Hulu release, continuing the rather unfortunate trend of comedy no longer being the box office powerhouse it once was.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
He was accused of creating spectacle and of designing spaces unsuitable for art.—
Norman Foster,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Goan cobras are migrating to new and unsuitable habitats by train.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Single bunnies can be lonely and depressed.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
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There was also research, which Meta eventually halted, implying that people who curbed their use of Facebook became less depressed and anxious.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Trailing by three after a disastrous first period, the Sharks got goals from Nick Leddy and Macklin Celebrini in the second period, and a nifty third-period goal from Alex Wennberg to tie the game and bring the capacity crowd at SAP Center to life.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
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The regular sight of US citizens paraded in Iran was disastrous for former President Jimmy Carter.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Horner seemed calm and articulate and also made inappropriate jokes during the interview, Espinoza said.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Swalwell has denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior with female staffers, which his camp argues are coming from online influencers connected to his opponents.—
Julie Watts,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Wagler led the Illini with 20 points, but Illinois shot a miserable 34% (19 of 56) from the field and 23% (6 of 26) from 3-point range.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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Porter Martone capped a fantastic first week in the NHL with a power-play goal in the NHL to put the Philadelphia Flyers even closer toward ending a miserable playoff drought with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Sometimes that’s totally wrong, because people are overestimating their kids or underestimating Joan Mitchell or whomever.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Or show off the Sombor Shuffle with an 11-footer off the wrong foot.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhappy. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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