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
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Recent Examples of unhappy
The overall impression is that several first-team players are unhappy, and that the situation has been brewing for some time.
—
Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 5 May 2026
There were also rumblings that Banchero was unhappy with Mosley, which began as early as November and continued throughout the season.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
People are unhappy on a grand scale.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 3 May 2026
Farm-state Republicans, to advance the farm bill from committee, secured a bill codifying year-round E15 ethanol fuel sales tied to the measure — but putting out a fire there started another one with fossil fuel-state Republicans unhappy with that provision.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 5 May 2026
There were also rumblings that Banchero was unhappy with Mosley, which began as early as November and continued throughout the season.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
People are unhappy on a grand scale.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 3 May 2026
Farm-state Republicans, to advance the farm bill from committee, secured a bill codifying year-round E15 ethanol fuel sales tied to the measure — but putting out a fire there started another one with fossil fuel-state Republicans unhappy with that provision.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhappy
Adjective
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The failure of so many in the political world to speak up displays a sad and growing moral bankruptcy.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
-
Don’t be sad — this is not a farewell forever.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lee said the incident is especially unfortunate, given the good work VCH does.—
Deborah Vankin,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
This is unfortunate and, from your telling, needlessly aggressive.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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The treatments were carried out at Ali’s semi-detached home in Leicester, which was described by investigators and witnesses as unsanitary and unsuitable for clinical care, the news outlet reported.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
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The team found that several 2D materials praised for their electronic properties may become unsuitable once they are built into real devices.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Children, yes, but families, grown-ups, single people, divorced people, cheerful people, depressed people, dog people, cat people, Dodgers fans, Padres fans, whomever.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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But there are some important factors that could lower their ceiling, namely depressed enthusiasm with some key groups, the fact that there are fewer competitive districts than ever before and the state of the redistricting battle.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Too much of it can be disastrous for the local ecosystems, leading to issues like algal blooms.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
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The Lakers coach couldn’t even sub fast enough before Ayton’s two-handed frustration shove of Oklahoma City guard Ajay Mitchell put a disappointing punctuation mark on a disastrous 19-second stretch for the Lakers starting center.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said at a news conference that Hill’s conduct was inappropriate but ultimately harmless.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
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On April 12, former congressman Swalwell, 45, suspended his campaign for governor of California after multiple women accused him of inappropriate behavior ranging from sending lewd, unwanted messages to drugging, raping and choking them.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Amid the Wave’s miserable season that followed both on and off the field, Shaw asked for a trade to the North Carolina Courage, which was granted ahead of the 2025 season.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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The Jets finished last in rushing attempts in a wholly miserable campaign.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The challenge these proposals aim to address is real — but trying to hold back the tide is the wrong answer.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
In a 4-3 ruling, the court said the legislature followed the wrong process for putting the question, an amendment to the state constitution, on the ballot.—
Larry Kaplow,
NPR,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhappy. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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