unsuccessful

adjective

un·​suc·​cess·​ful ˌən-sək-ˈses-fəl How to pronounce unsuccessful (audio)
: not successful : not meeting with or producing success
unsuccessfully adverb

Examples of unsuccessful in a Sentence

His last novel was unsuccessful. an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Attempts to reach Board of Elections officials about Ike's case Tuesday night were unsuccessful. Amber Hunt, The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024 Multiple attempts by Newsweek for comment from the Maritime Sikh Society have been unsuccessful. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Trump’s campaign and allies proceeded to file dozens of unsuccessful lawsuits challenging the result. Chantelle Lee, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024 Momentum then seemed to stall, and Meta filed an unsuccessful motion to dismiss. Adriana Lee, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unsuccessful 

Word History

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsuccessful was in 1617

Dictionary Entries Near unsuccessful

Cite this Entry

“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsuccessful. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

unsuccessful

adjective
un·​suc·​cess·​ful ˌən(t)-sək-ˈses-fəl How to pronounce unsuccessful (audio)
: not successful : not having or producing success
unsuccessfully adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unsuccessful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!