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
Clemens coach Robert Bell was apparently unhappy enough with his team that his halftime speech went so long the officials had to go remind the Buffaloes the halftime clock was running out.
—
Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026
But, Seymour said, that does not mean the CIF State office is unhappy with having the games in Sacramento.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 4 Mar. 2026
The Eagles wide receiver has appeared unhappy with the Eagles’ run-heavy offense, which lacks an elite NFL passer in quarterback Jalen Hurts.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
As Repetition opens, the first-person narrator, a novelist in her 60s, sits next to an unhappy teenager and her parents at the symphony one night.
—Honor Jones, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026
But, Seymour said, that does not mean the CIF State office is unhappy with having the games in Sacramento.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 4 Mar. 2026
The Eagles wide receiver has appeared unhappy with the Eagles’ run-heavy offense, which lacks an elite NFL passer in quarterback Jalen Hurts.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
As Repetition opens, the first-person narrator, a novelist in her 60s, sits next to an unhappy teenager and her parents at the symphony one night.
—Honor Jones, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhappy
Adjective
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There will be keggers, hook-ups, late nights and early mornings, all without shading Greg as a sad old man trying to turn back time.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
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But none of them can say this, none of them can let their feelings be known, and, instead of a triangle, what ends up happening is three sad lines fallen in on each other, lying in a pile, waiting for someone to come along and prop them back up into a shape.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Celta’s experienced striker Borja Iglesias equalized for the home side with his third goal in four games after 25 minutes, and strike partner Iago Aspas was unfortunate to see his shot come back off the post with two minutes remaining as both sides pushed for a winner.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
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This time round, though, an unfortunate silliness sometimes creeps in, where the film risks tipping over Shakespearean-size emotions into embarrassing bathos.—
Miriam Balanescu,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Environmental chemist Cassandra Rauert noted that this technique is currently unsuitable for identifying polyethylene or PVC in human tissue because molecules from human fat can mimic the signal of these plastics.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
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This is a significant issue for a project intended for deep-space mission launches, microgravity research, and space manufacturing – only for it to be found unsuitable for any of those goals, largely due to the presence of the astronauts themselves.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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El Teniente's general manager, Claudio Sougarret, recently said production will be depressed for the next five years as a result of the accident.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
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Minnelli writes that Garland would remain in bed for days, depressed and heavily drugged.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And as someone who has done this a long time, Musselman understands that the responsibility for the team’s disastrous stretch run ultimately falls squarely on his shoulders.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Noem’s dissmissal comes after she was berated by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over a series of disastrous blunders by her department, including the killings of two American citizens by border patrol agents in Minneapolis and apparent attempts by DHS to stifle investigations into the shootings.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Weisz aces the slapstick comedy of being hot and bothered in an inappropriate setting.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
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Kamlager-Dove said Noem’s lack of a direct answer raised concerns about her having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and showed a lack of judgment in national security decisions.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Alex Caruso relishes making Jokic miserable.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 Mar. 2026
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Weegar has had a tough season, with his impact in basically every situation falling off during what’s been a miserable year all around in Calgary.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The helpful staff won’t steer you wrong.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
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An officer monitoring a vehicle X-ray machine did not detect anything wrong with the vehicle, but another officer doing a physical inspection spotted the woman’s foot, according to the complaint.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhappy. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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