unhappy

1 of 2

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 that

They 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

unhappiness

2 of 2

noun

un·​happiness

"+

: the quality or state of being unhappy : misery, sadness

Synonyms of unhappy

Adjective

• sad
• depressed
• miserable
• heartbroken
• bad
• upset
• sorry
• worried
• melancholy
• disappointed

Examples of unhappy in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Even residents who are unhappy with most aspects of the rezoning admit that the studios were a win. — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026

One health insurance company, Alignment Healthcare, has already threatened to sue the government after its star ratings were downgraded — a now-common occurrence for almost any insurer that is unhappy with its grades. — Bob Herman, STAT, 9 Oct. 2026

On the afternoon of October 3, a crowd of unhappy protesters gathered along a busy street in the heart of Huntington, New York, a sleepy suburb along the northern coast of Long Island. — Adam B. Vary, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026

Many Iranians remain deeply unhappy with the country’s leadership. — Narges Bajoghli, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English unhappynes, from unhappy + -nes -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unhappy

• chappie
• happy
• nappy
• pappy
• sappy
• scrappy
• snappy

Kids 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

-ˈhap-ə-lē

adverb

unhappiness

-ˈhap-i-nəs

noun