UNHAPPY Synonyms: 321 Similar and Opposite Words

unhappy

adjective

ˌən-ˈha-pē

Definition of unhappy

as in sad

feeling unhappiness he's been unhappy ever since his family's move, which took him away from all his friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unfortunate

having, prone to, or marked by bad luck she's trying to forget that whole unhappy attempt to start a business

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unsuitable

not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation a guest unintentionally made unhappy reference to what is a painful situation for the family

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of unhappy In the book, Auf der Maur portrays this as an unhappy development. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026 With Jones inside the final 12 months of his contract and with no prospect of him signing an extension, Liverpool were faced with either sanctioning his sale this summer or keeping an unhappy player before losing him for nothing next year. — James Pearce, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 That may explain why Trump is unhappy with the cost of borrowing. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 It's being led by downtown business and property owners, who are unhappy with Davis's efforts to restrict high-rises and other development downtown. — Olivia Young, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unhappy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhappy

Adjective

That might also explain the movie’s attempts to supercharge its few action sequences, as if the filmmakers realized belatedly that a sad book without much incident wasn’t exactly prime summer studio release fodder.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Obviously, a really sad story and hard to listen to at times.

— Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of sad

Adjective

There are no Cubs players involved in the TikTok series, the Cubs told me, which is unfortunate since Crow-Armstrong has acting in his DNA — his mother and father are both actors — and probably would be at least as good as Damon.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Every mosquito has a type Count me among the unfortunate souls who are mosquito magnets; something about my body chemistry is irresistible to those tiny bloodsucking fiends.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of unfortunate

Adjective

Guy acknowledges, though, that this could lead to the level of chaos depicted in a memorable 2009 episode of The Office, where staff show up in an array of unsuitable outfits.

— Chloe Veltman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
That could allow geothermal projects to operate in locations that have traditionally been considered unsuitable for geothermal development.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of unsuitable

Adjective

Lindsay Clancy was depressed, prosecutor says During more than four weeks of testimony, jurors heard differing views from medical experts about Clancy’s mental state after Callan’s birth.

— Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
Many established theatrical distributors are also wary of the current depressed market for documentaries.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of depressed

Adjective

Arjun Poudel, a health reporter in Nepal, was commuting to the offices of the Kathmandu Post, in the country’s capital, when messages started coming in about a disastrous flood in his home town, close to the border with China.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Since a disastrous debut, the rookie right-hander has allowed just two runs over his last 9 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of disastrous

Adjective

Justice Department attorneys have argued that a restraining order would be inappropriate and that the legal challenge was premature, as federal agencies had yet to issue public guidance on how the president's directive would be implemented.

— Kristina Cooke, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
The morality police, which are often accused of extreme policies, recently announced a statewide ban in Sokoto on the use of DJs at events, as well as inappropriate haircuts, extravagant bridal gifts and playing music on public transport.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of inappropriate

Browse Nearby Words

unhappiness

unhappy

unharmed

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“Unhappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhappy. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of unhappy

adjective

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