unhappy Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent
    • unhappy over her departure
    • unhappy with her raise
    • after the argument they lapsed into an unhappy silence
    • had an unhappy time at school
    • the unhappy (or sad) news
    • he looks so sad
  2. adjective generalized feeling of distress
    distressed; dysphoric.
  3. adjective satellite causing discomfort
    • the unhappy truth
  4. adjective satellite marked by or producing unhappiness
    infelicitous.
    • infelicitous circumstances
    • unhappy caravans, straggling afoot through swamps and canebrakes"- American Guide Series

WordNet

Un*hap"py adjective
Definitions
  1. Not happy or fortunate; unfortunate; unlucky; as, affairs have taken an unhappy turn.
  2. In a degree miserable or wretched; not happy; sad; sorrowful; as, children render their parents unhappy by misconduct.
  3. Marked by infelicity; evil; calamitous; as, an unhappy day. "The unhappy morn." Milton.
  4. Mischievous; wanton; wicked. Obs. Shak. -- Un*hap"pi*ly adv. -- Un*hap"pi*ness, n.

Webster 1913