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:
But she has long been unhappy overall with the lack of progress on homelessness, trash and infrastructure issues like broken streetlights.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Otherwise it is going to be an unhappy international break for Sunderland and their passionate fanbase.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
"But he has to accept this reality, rather than simply continuing to feel down or unhappy because of it."
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
The whole country has seemed to be in a sour mood, unhappy with everything, feeling as if the world has gone off its axis and life is out of balance.
From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2026
However, his dreams that night were troubled and unhappy.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
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
Do you think I would actually be unhappier as a human?
From New York Times ● Feb. 16, 2023
And for him it was different—the more he won, the unhappier he became.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
“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
But his time at the top coincided with his unhappiest time personally, and he stepped off.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 3, 2022
The team that might be unhappiest with the new draw is Real Madrid, which started with a very winnable match against Benfica, but wound up playing the star-studded lineup of P.S.G.
From New York Times ● Dec. 13, 2021
“Akh! Doktor, send me now to a world without her. I am the unhappiest of men.”
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
