as in futile
producing no results
an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 unsuccessful
Last week, in a game against Mexico, in Guadalajara, Son took a promising, but unsuccessful, lob shot early on (which was blocked by an opponent’s gravitationally improbable bicycle kick), then seemed to wear himself out, running up and down the pitch.
—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
24 June 2026
An attempt to reach Wright by phone Tuesday afternoon was unsuccessful.
—
Grant Lancaster,
Arkansas Online,
23 June 2026
The suspect was unsuccessful in washing the check, but the amount was altered and the check was signed and the suspect attempted to cash it.
—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
23 June 2026
The zoo said the procedure was unsuccessful.
—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
24 June 2026
An attempt to reach Wright by phone Tuesday afternoon was unsuccessful.
—
Grant Lancaster,
Arkansas Online,
23 June 2026
The suspect was unsuccessful in washing the check, but the amount was altered and the check was signed and the suspect attempted to cash it.
—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
23 June 2026
The zoo said the procedure was unsuccessful.
—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsuccessful
Adjective
-
Uso’s conquest proved to be futile.
-
Some days that hope can seem futile.
Adjective
-
The six Republican appointees said those protections were effectively useless and not binding.
-
Most of the information is useless.
Adjective
-
As children, Vi and Jinx lose their parents in an abortive revolution in Zaun, and years later find themselves on opposite sides of an unfolding power struggle between the two city-states.
-
Those forces have remained in the country, albeit now with more direct control from the Kremlin (after Wagner’s bombastic chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led an abortive coup against Moscow and paid the ultimate price for it).
Cite this Entry
“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsuccessful. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
