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
And as with the Port, some users are unhappy with how Sonos managed the rollout of the Amp.
—
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
What happens if the company is unhappy with a team’s play and demands a coaching change?
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 May 2026
As a sideshow, Arsenal took umbrage with the pitch at the Metropolitano Stadium, unhappy with the length of the turf and the extent to which it was being watered (people were actually pictured measuring individual blades of grass ahead of kick-off, above).
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Inevitably, the next governor is going to make some people unhappy.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhappy
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Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
What happens if the company is unhappy with a team’s play and demands a coaching change?
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 May 2026
As a sideshow, Arsenal took umbrage with the pitch at the Metropolitano Stadium, unhappy with the length of the turf and the extent to which it was being watered (people were actually pictured measuring individual blades of grass ahead of kick-off, above).
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Inevitably, the next governor is going to make some people unhappy.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 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 5 May. 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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