unhappy

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ʌnˈhæpi/ See IPA manual

Freq #3280

Meanings

1

adj
Sad; not feeling happy.

She felt unhappy after her best friend moved away.
2

adj
Not satisfied or pleased with something.

An unhappy customer is unlikely to return to your shop.
3

adj
Unfortunate or unlucky.

The doomed lovers must have been born under an unhappy star.
4

adj
Causing discomfort or trouble; unwelcome.

Nobody wanted to face the unhappy truth.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · sad; not feeling happy. blue dejected cheerless crestfallen

2 adj · not satisfied or pleased... dissatisfieduncontented

3 adj · unfortunate or unlucky. haplessill-fatedill-starredluckless unlucky

Word family

Forms unhappierunhappiest

Derived forms unhappily

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

so unhappy
very sad or deeply dissatisfied

Adverb + adjective

Etymology

From Middle English unhappy; equivalent to un- + happy.

unhappy Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# unhappy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ʌnˈhæpi/
**Frequency rank:** 3280

## Meanings
1. Sad; not feeling happy.
2. Not satisfied or pleased with something.
3. Unfortunate or unlucky.
4. Causing discomfort or trouble; unwelcome.

## Examples
- She felt unhappy after her best friend moved away.
- An unhappy customer is unlikely to return to your shop.
- The doomed lovers must have been born under an unhappy star.
- Nobody wanted to face the unhappy truth.

## Derived Forms
- unhappily

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: unhappy
- Affix: un- - not

## Etymology
From Middle English unhappy; equivalent to un- + happy.

## AI Etymology
Unhappy is from Middle English unhappy; equivalent to un- + happy. The historical line also includes Middle English unhappy. The prefix un- supplies the negative or reversive element. In present-day use, it can mean sad; not feeling happy, or not satisfied or pleased with something. Derived formations include unhappily.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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