unhappy

Word family

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++un·hap·py /ʌnˈhæpi/ S3 adjective (comparative unhappier, superlative unhappiest) 1 SATISFIED#not happy 不幸福的；不快乐的 → sad If you’re so unhappy, why don’t you change jobs? 你要是那么不开心，为什么不换个工作呢？ Leslie had an unhappy childhood. 莱斯利的童年很不幸。 an unhappy marriage 不幸的婚姻 I was desperately unhappy. 我非常不快乐。► see thesaurus at sad RegisterIn everyday English, people often say they feel down or fed up rather than unhappy: 在日常英语中，人们一般说 feel down 或 feel fed up，而不说 unhappyThe situation at home was making her feel very down. 家里的状况让她情绪很低落。2 WORRIEDfeeling worried or annoyed because you do not like what is happening in a particular situation 忧愁的；不满的unhappy about/at (doing) something Dennis is unhappy about having to work on a Saturday. 丹尼斯很不高兴星期六还要上班。unhappy with We were all unhappy with the quality of the service. 我们都对服务质量不满意。3 formalUNLUCKYSUITABLE# an unhappy remark, situation etc is not suitable, lucky, or desirable 不适当的；不幸运的 SYN unfortunate an unhappy coincidence 不幸的巧合 —unhappiness noun [uncountable]n 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.

un·hap·py adjective →REGISTER1 →n COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable

Corpus happy not

unhappy
un‧hap‧py S3 /ʌnˈhæpi/

adjective (comparative unhappier, superlative unhappiest)

Word Family: noun: happiness ≠ unhappiness; adverb: happily ≠ unhappily; adjective: happy ≠ unhappy

1. 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.
  REGISTER
    In 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. feeling worried or annoyed because you do not like what is happening in a particular situation
    unhappy 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. formal an unhappy remark, situation etc is not suitable, lucky, or desirable
SYN unfortunate:

an unhappy coincidence
—unhappiness noun [uncountable]

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meanings 1 & 2)

■ verbs
   ▪ feel unhappy After a while I didn’t feel quite so unhappy.
   ▪ look unhappy Both his parents looked very unhappy.
   ▪ seem unhappy Did Bill seem unhappy to you?
■ adverbs
   ▪ very/deeply unhappy The Government was deeply unhappy about criticism from the press.
   ▪ desperately/terribly/dreadfully unhappy It was the first time she had been away from home and she was desperately unhappy.
■ nouns
   ▪ an unhappy childhood Stevens had a unhappy childhood in Manchester.
   ▪ an unhappy marriage Her parents had had an unhappy marriage.
   ▪ unhappy memories Ruth tried to put these unhappy memories from her mind.

THESAURUS

   ▪ sad not happy: She felt sad as she waved goodbye. | a sad and lonely figure | a sad face | a sad film
   ▪ unhappy sad, especially for a long time – used about people and periods of time: I was unhappy at school. | an unhappy childhood | He’s obviously a deeply unhappy person.
   ▪ homesick [not before noun] sad because you are away from your home, family, and friends: She sometimes felt homesick when she first arrived in Japan.
   ▪ down [not before noun] informal feeling sad for a few hours or days, often for no reason: Whenever I’m feeling down, I go out and buy myself some new clothes. | She’s been kind of down since that argument with Jack.
   ▪ gloomy looking or sounding sad and without hope – used about people, places, and weather: Why are you all looking so gloomy? | the gloomy immigration office | a gloomy afternoon in February
   ▪ dejected/downcast looking sad and disappointed because something you hoped for did not happen: ‘I didn’t pass,’ he said, looking dejected. | a downcast expression | He was understandably downcast after the team’s loss.
   ▪ mournful especially literary looking or sounding sad: the dog’s big mournful eyes | the mournful sound of the church bell | a mournful expression
   ▪ glum looking sad and disappointed: Don’t look so glum! Maybe you’ll win next time. | They sat in glum silence.
   ▪ wistful especially literary looking a little sad and thoughtful, because you wish that the situation was different: She looked at him with a wistful smile.

🔑 un·happy

BrE

/ʌnˈhæpi/

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NAmE

/ʌnˈhæpi/

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adjective

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un·hap·pier

un·happi·est

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