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 The search proved mostly unsuccessful—until, finally, someone on Facebook recognized Meijer from the photos, and connected them with a group of parents of his offspring. Charlotte Lytton, TIME, 2 July 2024 His lawyers could argue this on appeal, but Lanny Davis, a legal expert who was formerly Cohen’s lawyer, pointed to unsuccessful past attempts in arguing immunity. Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 1 July 2024 Trump's defense team previously invoked a presidential immunity argument in an unsuccessful effort to limit evidence and delay the trial. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 1 July 2024 Trump skipped Biden’s inauguration after leading an unprecedented and unsuccessful effort to overturn his loss that culminated in the Capitol riot by his supporters. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 28 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for unsuccessful 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsuccessful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 7 Jul. 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
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