unhappy

[ uhn-hap-ee ]
See synonyms for unhappy on Thesaurus.com
adjective,un·hap·pi·er, un·hap·pi·est.
  1. sad; miserable; wretched: Why is she so unhappy?

  2. unfortunate; unlucky: an unhappy incident.

  1. unfavorable; inauspicious: an unhappy omen.

  2. infelicitous; unsuitable: an unhappy choice of words.

  3. Archaic. causing trouble; reprehensible; troublesome.

Origin of unhappy

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English: “causing misfortune, objectionable”; un-1 + happy

Other words for unhappy

Other words from unhappy

  • un·hap·pi·ly, adverb
  • un·hap·pi·ness, noun

Words Nearby unhappy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use unhappy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for unhappy

unhappy

/ (ʌnˈhæpɪ) /


adjective-pier or -piest
  1. not joyful; sad or depressed

  2. unfortunate or wretched: an unhappy fellow

  1. tactless or inappropriate: an unhappy remark

  2. archaic unfavourable

Derived forms of unhappy

  • unhappily, adverb
  • unhappiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012