A2adjective1K

Unhappy

UK /["/ʌnˈhæpi/"]/US /["/ʌnˈhæpi/"]/

Definition

not happy; sad

In simple words: Feeling sad or not pleased.

Examples

  • She felt unhappy after receiving the bad news.
  • He is unhappy with his current job situation.
  • The children appeared unhappy when they had to leave the park.
  • No one likes to feel unhappy for long periods.
  • Her face showed she was unhappy about the decision.

Usage notes

Use 'unhappy' to describe a general feeling of sadness or dissatisfaction. It's appropriate in most contexts, but avoid it in highly formal situations where more specific words might be preferable.

Grammar pattern

be + unhappy

Memory hint

Think of 'un' as 'not', and happy as 'joyful' – so 'not joyful'!

Collocations

  • be
  • feel
  • look
  • extremely
  • fairly
  • very
  • about
  • at
  • with
  • be
  • feel
  • look
  • extremely
  • fairly
  • very
  • about
  • at
  • with

Synonyms

  • unfortunate

Antonyms

  • happy
  • joyful
  • cheerful

Common mistakes

  • 'Unhappy' is incorrectly used as a noun ('an unhappy').
  • Confusing 'unhappy' with 'sad', which can have slightly different connotations.
  • Using 'unhappy' in overly casual contexts where simpler words like 'sad' might be better.