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
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.
See Examples For:
A messy early attempt at drafting the bill had left Armstrong and others unhappy with Clarity’s direction, according to people involved with the negotiations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Looking ahead: “Even if higher prices are making consumers unhappy, they’re not doing much to hurt the economy yet,” said David Russell, global head of market strategy at TradeStation.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
His relatives are also unhappy as he will have to spend six months with an electronic tag, housed three hours away from them in Cardiff.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
After a few years of glossy magazine profiles and raking in the big bucks, he was searching for meaning and unhappy with the “tragic artist” he met in the mirror.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
She did not tell William everything she was facing, but he knew she was unhappy.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
A 2010 Brookings Institution paper found people were unhappier on days when gasoline rose above $3.50 and $4.00 a gallon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
"It should really shock our collective conscience… It will haunt us. We are seeing things happening that will make the world an unhappier place far beyond the region."
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2025
Not only does this “maximizer” mentality lead to more hoarding, it can also make you unhappier.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 21, 2023
He is played in his 30s and 40s by Jack Lowden and as an older, unhappier man by Peter Capaldi, whose resemblance to late photographs of Sassoon is uncanny.
From New York Times ● Jun. 2, 2022
“I made them unhappier than they have been in years, I think,” said Montag.
From "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
“You are only as happy as your unhappiest child, and me? I have so many.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
Philippe Villeneuve, the cathedral's chief architect, described himself four years ago - after witnessing the fire - as "the unhappiest architect in the world".
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2023
Afghanistan and Lebanon remain the two unhappiest countries in the rankings for the second year in a row.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 21, 2023
But his time at the top coincided with his unhappiest time personally, and he stepped off.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 3, 2022
“Akh! Doktor, send me now to a world without her. I am the unhappiest of men.”
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
