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Synonyms

unsuccessful

American  
[uhn-suhk-ses-fuhl] / ˌʌn səkˈsɛs fəl /

adjective

  1. not achieving or not attended with success.

    an unsuccessful person;

    an unsuccessful venture.
    Synonyms:
    baffled, foiled, unfortunate, hapless
unsuccessful British  
/ ˌʌnsəkˈsɛsfʊl /

adjective

  1. not having succeeded

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • unsuccessfully adverb
  • unsuccessfulness noun

Etymology

Origin of unsuccessful

First recorded in 1610–20; un- 1 + successful

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.

After a first unsuccessful attempt, the police SUV again pulled within feet of the vehicle as it appeared to deploy the grappler.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

In 1998, Democratic multimillionaire Al Checchi who had been the co-chair of Northwest Airlines spent $40 million of his wealth on an unsuccessful run for governor, also a record at the time.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

We will present four successful and numerous unsuccessful formulations.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

He has lodged multiple unsuccessful legal challenges to stop the auction, and recently obtained orders barring the transfer of the property until his latest application is heard.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Setting his sights on the 1984 election, Jesse Jackson would become the second African American ever to run a serious national campaign for the presidency, after Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s unsuccessful run in 1972.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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.