unhappy
gb/ʌnhˈæpi/ us/ʌnhˈæpi/
A2
English
~ 2100
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
state
1
feeling sad or upset
Feeling sad or not pleased about something.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is unhappy (about/with [something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'unhappy' with 'angry'. While someone can be both, 'unhappy' usually refers to sadness or dissatisfaction, not anger.
Synonyms
sad (A more general and common word for feeling sorrowful.)
|
miserable (Stronger and more intense than 'unhappy', often implying great suffering.)
Antonyms
happy (Direct opposite, meaning feeling pleased or content.)
|
content (Implies being satisfied and at peace, the opposite of dissatisfaction.)
Collocations
deeply unhappy
|feel unhappy
|unhappy childhood
|unhappy marriage
|unhappy with
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She was unhappy with the results of the exam.
- He felt unhappy after hearing the bad news.
- Their dog seemed unhappy when left alone for too long.
- I’m unhappy about how the meeting went.
- The children looked unhappy in the cold weather.
Learner examples
- I am unhappy today.
- She is unhappy with her job.
- He looks unhappy in the photo.
- They are unhappy because it is raining.
adjective
B1
property
2
causing sadness or trouble
Making people feel sad or not satisfied.
Usage pattern:
an unhappy [event/situation/experience]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'sad' as a personal feeling. Here it describes events or situations, not emotions directly.
Synonyms
unfortunate (Suggests bad luck or an unlucky result without necessarily implying strong emotion.)
|
regrettable (Implies that something is disappointing and should not have happened.)
Antonyms
fortunate (Indicates a positive or lucky outcome, opposite of an unfortunate one.)
|
pleasant (Describes something enjoyable and agreeable, opposite of unpleasant or sad-causing.)
Collocations
unhappy ending
|unhappy situation
|unhappy experience
|unhappy choice
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It was an unhappy ending to an otherwise good film.
- The company is in an unhappy situation due to falling sales.
- They had an unhappy experience at the restaurant.
- We must try to avoid another unhappy mistake.
Learner examples
- It was an unhappy day for us.
- The book has an unhappy ending.
- They are in an unhappy situation.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unhappy
IPA
GB/ʌnhˈæpi/
US/ʌnhˈæpi/
Syllables & stress
un - happy (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (happy)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: unhappy
- Comparative: unhappier
- Superlative: unhappiest
Word family
Forms
unhappier
adjective
unhappiest
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unhappiness
noun B2
unhappily
adverb
Expressions
an unhappy ending
1/ən ʌnhˈæpi ˈɛndɪŋ/
fixed phrase
sad or disappointing conclusion
A story or event that finishes in a sad way.
Examples
- The movie had an unhappy ending when the hero died.
- Their relationship came to an unhappy ending.
make [someone] unhappy
1/mˈeɪk sˈʌmwˌʌn ʌnhˈæpi/
fixed phrase
cause someone to be sad or upset
To do something that causes a person to feel sad or not pleased.
Examples
- It makes me unhappy when you ignore my calls.
- The news made him very unhappy.
unhappy with
1/ʌnhˈæpi wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
dissatisfied with something
Not pleased about something.
Examples
- I’m unhappy with my current salary.
- She’s unhappy with how the project turned out.