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:
Americans remain unhappy about the economy, and higher prices are a big reason.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The benefit of year-round daylight saving time would be 5:44 p.m. sunsets shortly after Thanksgiving for Los Angeles — a delight for Angelenos unhappy with 4:44 p.m. sunsets as winter approaches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
According to a Pew Research Center survey released in October 2025, large majorities of Americans are unhappy with both political parties.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
We’d have far fewer ill-equipped managers and unhappy employees if people were more honest with themselves about whether they have the desire or ability to empathize with others and invest in their career growth.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
“If she is sick or unhappy, then maybe you should help her.”
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Early in his speech, Burnham remarked that Parliament seemed to be an unhappier place than when he was last an MP.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
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
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
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
At the other end of the scale, countries with the unhappiest populations were Afghanistan and Lebanon across age groups.
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2024
The happiest young people are in Lithuania, while the unhappiest are in Afghanistan.
From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2024
Afghanistan and Lebanon remain the two unhappiest countries in the rankings for the second year in a row.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 21, 2023
She was the unhappiest I had ever seen her.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
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.
