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unhappy

unhappy

21 1.0
Causing sadness or making people feel bad
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈhæpi/
: lamentable
  • The storm ruined our picnic, leaving everyone feeling unhappy about the day.
  • an unhappy ending
  • unhappy circumstances
  • an unhappy fact

One result of this superficial view of homogenized global harmony was an unhappy counter reaction.

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Examples

  • You are gonna live such an unhappy life.

  • Anything that might lead to an unhappy experience was avoided at all costs.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • It's going to make people very, very unhappy for a long time, I expect.

  • The industry was unhappy with some pieces of it.

  • An unhappy alternative is before you.

  • "Big dumb Italian," Mother said when she spoke of him and their three unhappy years together.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The trouble had begun even earlier, in the brown, unhappy hour before surgery.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • I'm sorry to disturb this evening's entertainment, but I have some rather unhappy news.

  • You've said that you were unhappy with the way some outlets have reported on the list.

    Academic text (2016)
  • After receiving the bad news, she wore an unhappy expression that reflected her feelings.

Synonyms

sad
vsunhappy
∞ 1.0

Feeling unhappy or upset because of something

describes caused discomfort or misfortune rather than the person's inner sorrow
uncomfortable
vsunhappy
702 1.7

Causing physical pain or making you feel uneasy in a situation

focuses more on bodily or situational unease rather than general misfortune
miserable
vsunhappy
416 1.8

Feeling very unhappy or suffering a lot

is milder, meaning ordinary discomfort or misfortune not deep suffering
unpleasant
vsunhappy
183 1.0

Not nice and causing discomfort or unhappiness

includes events that are unlucky or unfortunate as well as discomfort
upsetting
vsunhappy
104 2.5

Making someone feel sad or worried

is about causing general discomfort or misfortune rather than strong emotional distress
dismaying
vsunhappy
3 5.5

Making people feel very worried and disappointed

is broader, covering general discomfort or misfortune not only intense disappointment
displeasing
vsunhappy
2 4.0

Something that makes people feel dislike or annoyance

refers to stronger discomfort or misfortune rather than simple annoyance or dislike

Antonyms

323 1.0

Giving a gentle feeling of enjoyment

306 1.8

Being lucky in a situation

How Unpleasant

dreadful
134 3.7
distressing
  • Specialized
34 4.6
unhappy
21 1.0
unsettling
68 4.2
unpleasant
183 1.0

Surface Forms

unhappy positive
unhappier comparative
unhappiest superlative

Morphology

unhappy = happy (transparent) = un + happy

Standard antonym formation with the productive prefix 'un-' applied to 'happy'; the negative/unpleasant sense follows directly.

Etymology

Unhappy comes from un- 'not' plus happy from hap 'luck', so it can mean 'not lucky' or 'unfortunate'. That's why an unhappy event is an unpleasant or unfortunate thing.