unhappily

adverb

un·​hap·​pi·​ly ˌən-ˈha-pə-lē How to pronounce unhappily (audio)
Synonyms of unhappilynext
1
: unfortunately sense 1
Unhappily, medicine has not yet found a cure …—Diana Trilling
2
: in an unhappy manner : without pleasure
practiced law unhappily for a few years

Synonyms of unhappily

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Examples of unhappily in a Sentence

They were unhappily married for two years. an unhappily married couple being counseled by a professional
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.
How many of my life decisions have been made in reaction to feeling unhappily married? — Liana Finck, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026 Wilde stars as one half of a struggling couple, unhappily married to a character played by Seth Rogen. — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 Even high productivity numbers may not be enough to pay the government’s debts, and there will be many people unhappily and under-employed. — Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026 One of the youngest of the MacKenzie brood (and often seen with sister Janet), Jocasta Cameron is sometimes callously honest, perpetually jealous of the attention Ellen gets, and unhappily married to an old man. — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unhappily

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Rhymes for unhappily

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Browse Nearby Words

unhanged
unhappily
unhappiness
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Cite this Entry

“Unhappily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unhappily. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of unhappily for Spanish Speakers

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