unhappy

adjective

un·​hap·​py ˌən-ˈha-pē How to pronounce unhappy (audio)
1
: not fortunate : unlucky
an unhappy coincidence
2
: not cheerful or glad : sad, wretched
3
a
: causing or subject to misfortune : inauspicious
b
: infelicitous, inappropriate
an unhappy choice
unhappiness noun

Examples of unhappy in a Sentence

I can see that he's unhappy, but I don't know why. I've never seen her looking so unhappy. For three unhappy days we were all stuck in the house because of the blizzard. an unhappy choice of career The movie's hero meets an unhappy fate.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Despite his close relationship with Trump, Elon Musk is unhappy about tariffs, which stand to hurt the business empire of the world’s richest man. Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025 There have even been reports of police being called to deal with the rowdy behavior, not to mention some theater employees who are unhappy about the cleanup required. Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025 For tech companies like Apple—which promised to invest $500 billion in the US, likely to secure tariff exemptions—Trump's trade war threatens long-term supply chain disruptions, spiked costs, and unhappy customers potentially suddenly unable to afford even their latest devices. ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2025 Ty Gibbs was unhappy with Tyler Reddick during the NASCAR Cup Series' Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday afternoon as Denny Hamlin won the race after finishing fifth at Homestead last week. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unhappy

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unhappy was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unhappy. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

unhappy

adjective
un·​hap·​py ˌən-ˈhap-ē How to pronounce unhappy (audio)
1
: not fortunate : unlucky
an unhappy mistake
2
: not cheerful : sad
3
: inappropriate
an unhappy color combination
unhappily
-ˈhap-ə-lē
adverb
unhappiness
-ˈhap-i-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unhappy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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