Synonyms of unsuccessful

unsuccessful

adjective

ˌən-sək-ˈses-fəl 

as in futile

producing no results

an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves

Synonyms & Similar Words

• futile
• useless
• abortive
• unavailing
• fruitless
• impossible
• ineffective
• insufficient
• vain
• unprofitable
• in vain
• ineffectual
• worthless
• inadequate
• unproductive
• of no avail
• meaningless
• profitless
• empty
• lost
• bootless
• inefficacious
• not worth the candle
• barren
• no dice
• pointless
• hopeless
• otiose
• hollow
• valueless
• lacking
• idle
• unattainable
• counterproductive
• wanting
• no-win

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• successful
• effective
• efficient
• profitable
• productive
• fruitful
• virtuous
• deadly
• worthwhile
• potent
• meaningful
• sufficient
• adequate
• efficacious
• effectual
• practical
• feasible
• applicable
• functional
• workable
• practicable
• usable
• useable
• realizable

Examples of unsuccessful in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Happy Gilmore starred Sandler as an unsuccessful hockey player who becomes an unlikely golf sensation, thanks to his monster drives. —Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2024

Central to this evolution was Altman’s firing, which, although ultimately unsuccessful, pushed AI governance—the question of who should be allowed to make decisions about the increasingly powerful technology—to the fore. —Billy Perrigo, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024

Most of the district's revenue comes from city property taxes, while a much lesser amount comes from state funding, which is where CTU and Johnson have been unsuccessful in lobbying Springfield for more. —Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 4 Sep. 2024

The late rapper attempted to file bankruptcy to get out of his deal but was unsuccessful due to strict bankruptcy laws at the time. —Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 19 Aug. 2024