unsuccessful
adjective
un·suc·cess·ful
ˌən-sək-ˈses-fəl 
: not successful : not meeting with or producing success
Examples of unsuccessful in a Sentence
His last novel was unsuccessful.
an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephanie played her shot in the dark (a 1 in 6 chance at safety in exchange for a vote), but was unsuccessful and the 38-year-old tech product lead living in Brooklyn was the first person to be voted out of Season 48.
—
Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
The two had been hired to kill Pino’s estranged wife, according to the FBI, though their attempts up to that point had been unsuccessful.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
While the administration's efforts to slash the size of the federal government are embroiled in various lawsuits, court challenges to halt the shutdown of USAID have been unsuccessful so far.
—Gary Fields and Ellen Knickmeyer The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
That possession led to an unsuccessful drive from the Bucks’ All-Star forward.
—Eric Nehm, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
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Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
The two had been hired to kill Pino’s estranged wife, according to the FBI, though their attempts up to that point had been unsuccessful.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
While the administration's efforts to slash the size of the federal government are embroiled in various lawsuits, court challenges to halt the shutdown of USAID have been unsuccessful so far.
—Gary Fields and Ellen Knickmeyer The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
That possession led to an unsuccessful drive from the Bucks’ All-Star forward.
—Eric Nehm, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Cite this Entry
“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsuccessful. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unsuccessful
adjective
un·suc·cess·ful
ˌən(t)-sək-ˈses-fəl
: not successful : not having or producing success
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