From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishunhappyun‧hap‧py /ʌnˈhæpi/ ●●● S3 adjective (comparative unhappier, superlative unhappiest) 1 SATISFIED#not happy → sad If you’re so unhappy, why don’t you change jobs? Leslie had an unhappy childhood. an unhappy marriage I was desperately unhappy.► see thesaurus at sadRegisterIn everyday English, people often say they feel down or fed up rather than unhappy:The situation at home was making her feel very down.2 WORRIEDfeeling worried or annoyed because you do not like what is happening in a particular situationunhappy about/at (doing) something Dennis is unhappy about having to work on a Saturday.unhappy with We were all unhappy with the quality of the service.3 formalUNLUCKYSUITABLE# an unhappy remark, situation etc is not suitable, lucky, or desirable SYN unfortunate an unhappy coincidence —unhappiness noun [uncountable]COLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1 & 2verbsfeel unhappyAfter a while I didn’t feel quite so unhappy.look unhappyBoth his parents looked very unhappy.seem unhappyDid Bill seem unhappy to you?adverbsvery/deeply unhappyThe Government was deeply unhappy about criticism from the press.desperately/terribly/dreadfully unhappyIt was the first time she had been away from home and she was desperately unhappy.nounsan unhappy childhoodStevens had a unhappy childhood in Manchester.an unhappy marriageHer parents had had an unhappy marriage.unhappy memoriesRuth tried to put these unhappy memories from her mind.
Examples from the Corpus
unhappy• Compassionate capitalists know that all this talk of love is humbug and poppycock when people are hungry, homeless, and unhappy.• Her husband was apparently a heavy drinker, and their marriage was deeply unhappy.• Her parents' divorce left her feeling confused and unhappy• I felt so unhappy about what he had said that I just sat down and cried.• She was desperately unhappy after Sean left her.• Enemas and suppositories may be of use but habitual use of these can create an unhappy and strained parent-child relationship.• Neil was very unhappy at school.• Williams is unhappy because his father was a tough, unlovable brute whom he couldn't help loving.• It was an unhappy coincidence that she had appeared from the direction of Midway.• And the unhappy customer base stayed loyal in enormous numbers so that the company is now reaping the benefit.• Arlene has had an unhappy life.• an unhappy love affair• Looking at that photo always bring back unhappy memories.• Yet there was communication, albeit of an unhappy quality.• Sefton Hamilton entered the room as a gale might hit an unhappy seaside town.• Phil was married for three unhappy years.desperately unhappy• All of that I could understand, but it concerned me that she was so nervous and desperately unhappy.• He said she was desperately unhappy.• Their relationship had become conflict-ridden to the point where each of them was desperately unhappy.• I was desperately unhappy, almost suicidal.• No hopeless lover of a living maiden was ever so desperately unhappy as Pygmallon.• Although in other poems Leapor shows that labouring class women can be desperately unhappy in marriage, she is not unequivocal.• The fact was that Sir Herbert was a desperately unhappy man.• She sounds desperately unhappy, poor thing, and perhaps she should talk to a psychiatrist.unhappy about/at (doing) something• Do you think specific arts events should receive public funding, or are you unhappy about gay sexuality being publicised.• I knew she was unhappy about his going away for a whole weekend when she was too sick to accompany him.• Some were perhaps not unhappy at the abolition of the counties, for certain powers returned to the lower tiers of government.• I was not altogether unhappy at the Publicity Printers during those early pioneer days.• I was very unhappy at this time, James.• The National Farmers Union opposes the scheme, but would also be unhappy about undergrounding because of the damage to crops.• But many junior doctors are unhappy about what they have seen of the new deal so far. 