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.
Trump attempted one last time to get a judge to block the report but was unsuccessful, NPR's Carrie Johnson tells Up First. Brittney Melton, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025 An attempt was made to cut a lock to uniform storage, however was unsuccessful. City News Service, Orange County Register, 12 Jan. 2025 Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks had released an unsuccessful debut album as a duo, Buckingham Nicks, in 1973. Al Shipley, SPIN, 9 Jan. 2025 Chirac's successor, Nicolas Sarkozy, faced with a slumping economy, borrowed themes from Le Pen in his unsuccessful reelection campaign in 2012. Ania Nussbaum and Angelina Rascouet Bloomberg News (tns), arkansasonline.com, 8 Jan. 2025 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 20 Jan. 2025.

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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