unhappy
Americanadjective
-
sad; miserable; wretched.
Why is she so unhappy?
- Synonyms:
- distressed, cheerless, downcast, sorrowful
-
unfortunate; unlucky.
an unhappy incident.
- Synonyms:
- hapless
-
unfavorable; inauspicious.
an unhappy omen.
- Synonyms:
- unpropitious
-
infelicitous; unsuitable.
an unhappy choice of words.
- Synonyms:
- inapt, inappropriate
-
Archaic. causing trouble; reprehensible; troublesome.
adjective
-
not joyful; sad or depressed
-
unfortunate or wretched
an unhappy fellow
-
tactless or inappropriate
an unhappy remark
-
archaic unfavourable
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of unhappy
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English: “causing misfortune, objectionable”; un- 1 + happy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There is an unhappy history between the two; apparently Becerra was not alone in drawing Rice’s ire.
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026
Musk’s fast approach also drew protests from locals in the Memphis community unhappy about the facilities’ power and water demands.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
Vallejo also said he was unhappy with how much time Kouame was given in between points.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
In this brief, eerie novel by the Indian writer Anita Desai, the daughter of an unhappy Indian housewife learns that her mother had once dreamed of becoming a painter.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
After his release, he is hounded mercilessly by an unhappy policeman.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
