unhappy
adjective
un·hap·py
ˌən-ˈha-pē 
1
a
: not cheerful or glad : sad, wretched
didn't know why the child was so unhappy
I left the store an unhappy [=dissatisfied] customer.
—often used with with, about, or thatThey were unhappy with the way things turned out.
The children were unhappy about going back to school.
I'm unhappy that my best friend is moving.
b
: causing or involving feelings of sadness : not pleasant or joyful
an unhappy marriage/childhood
spent several unhappy hours stuck at the airport
2
: not fortunate : unlucky
an unhappy coincidence
3
a
: causing or subject to misfortune : inauspicious
a particularly unhappy moment for the story to leak
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
Auriemma was apparently unhappy with the officiating in the game and the disparity in free throw shooting.
—
Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Despite the changes, some in the Senate were still unhappy with the final iteration.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Apr. 2026
Markström, evidently unhappy at Shesterkin pushing Cotter, skated down the ice and asked Shesterkin to fight.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Amid the incredible automatism of the stage production (and life in general), Left Shark’s choreography mistakes spawned a wave of internet memes that made Katy Perry unhappy — until her lawyers saw the value and attempted to trademark Left Shark’s design.
—Andrey Mir, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
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Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Despite the changes, some in the Senate were still unhappy with the final iteration.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Apr. 2026
Markström, evidently unhappy at Shesterkin pushing Cotter, skated down the ice and asked Shesterkin to fight.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Amid the incredible automatism of the stage production (and life in general), Left Shark’s choreography mistakes spawned a wave of internet memes that made Katy Perry unhappy — until her lawyers saw the value and attempted to trademark Left Shark’s design.
—Andrey Mir, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
Cite this Entry
“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unhappy. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unhappy
adjective
un·hap·py
ˌən-ˈhap-ē
1
: not fortunate : unlucky
an unhappy mistake
2
: not cheerful : sad
3
: inappropriate
an unhappy color combination
unhappily
adverb
-ˈhap-ə-lē
unhappiness
noun
-ˈhap-i-nəs
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