Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of unhappy

120 similar words · 6 opposite words

Another word for unhappy is sad. Other synonyms of unhappy are depressed, miserable, heavy-hearted, low-spirited and grief-stricken. The opposite of unhappy is happy.

Synonyms and similar words for unhappy

adjectiveNot happy; sad.

  • sadFeeling sorrow; sorrowful, mournful.
  • lamentableCausing sorrow, distress or regret; deplorable, pitiful or distressing.
  • atrabiliary
  • atrabilious
  • blithelessWithout happiness or joy; unjoyful; sorrowful; sad.
  • dispiritedWithout energy, gusto or drive, enervated, without the will to accomplish, disheartened.
  • blueDepressed, melancholic, sad.
  • bummed outDepressed, disappointed, in a gloomy mood.
  • chapfallenCrestfallen, dejected.
  • cheerlessDevoid of cheer; gloomy.
  • chopfallenSynonym of chapfallen.
  • crestfallen
  • cut up Australia, UKEmotionally upset; mentally distressed.
  • damp figuratively
  • dejectedSad and dispirited.
  • depressedUnhappy; despondent.
  • despondentIn low spirits from loss of hope or courage.
  • disgruntledIn a dissatisfied, frustrated, or upset mood; in a bad temper or ill humour.
  • disconsolateCheerless, dreary.
  • disheartenedDiscouraged, despairing.
  • dismalCausing despair; gloomy and bleak.
  • dolefulFilled with grief, mournful, bringing feelings of sadness.
  • dolesomeCharacterised or marked by sorrow and grief; doleful; dismal; gloomy.
  • downSad, unhappy, depressed, feeling low.
  • down in the dumpsSad; lacking engagement or enthusiasm.
  • down in the mouthSad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.
  • downcastOf a person: feeling despondent or discouraged.
  • downheartedSad, discouraged, in low spirits, unhappy, having no hope.
  • downsomeLow-spirited; melancholy.
  • dullBored, depressed, down.
  • elegiacExpressing sorrow or mourning.
  • elegiousMelancholy, miserable, plaintive.
  • forlornPitifully sad, wretched, miserable; lonely, especially from feeling abandoned, deserted, forsaken.
  • gloomySuffering from gloom; melancholy; dejected.
  • glumDespondent; moody; sullen.
  • grief-strickenVery sad.
  • grievingFeeling or showing sorrow or distress due to loss, especially the death of someone.
  • heavy-heartedSad, melancholic.
  • heartsoreHeartsick.
  • heartsickVery despondent or sorrowful; heartsore.
  • inconsolableNot consolable; unable to be consoled or comforted, usually due to grief, disappointment, or other distress.
  • infelicitousUnhappy or unfortunate.
  • jawfallenDejected, dispirited.
  • joylessWithout joy; unhappy, sad.
  • lachrymoseTearful, sorrowful, sad, pertaining to tears, weeping, causing tears or crying.
  • lowDepressed in mood, dejected, sad.
  • low-spiritedDisheartened, feeling low, in low spirits.
  • lugubriousGloomy, mournful or dismal, especially to an exaggerated degree.
  • melancholicFilled with or affected by melancholy—great sadness or depression, especially of a thoughtful or introspective nature.
  • melancholyAffected with great sadness or depression.
  • miserableIn a state of misery: very sad, ill, or poor.
  • moodySulky or depressed.
  • mopeyGiven to moping; in a depressed condition, low in spirits; lackadaisical.
  • moroseSullen, gloomy; showing a brooding ill humour.
  • mournfulFilled with grief or sadness; being in a state in which one mourns.
  • plaintiveSounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic.
  • PlutonianOf, relating to, or having characteristics associated with the underworld; dark, gloomy; mournful.
  • PlutonicSynonym of Plutonian (“of, relating to, or having characteristics associated with the underworld; dark, gloomy...
  • querulousOften complaining; suggesting a complaint in expression; fretful, whining.
  • ruthfulFull of sorrow; sorrowful; woeful; rueful.
  • saddened
  • saturnineOf a person: having a tendency to be cold and gloomy.
  • shatteredEmotionally defeated or dispirited.
  • solemnCheerless, gloomy, sombre.
  • sombreDark; gloomy; shadowy, dimly lit.
  • sorrowfulExhibiting sorrow; dejected; distraught; sad. (of a person).
  • sorrow-riddenFilled with sorrow or sorrows.
  • sorrowsomeMarked by sorrow; sad; dreary; sorrowful.
  • spiritlessLacking energy, drive, motivation or emotion. Enervated.
  • sullenGloomy; dismal; foreboding.
  • threneticSorrowful; mournful.
  • threneticalThrenetic.
  • uncheerfulNot cheerful.
  • uncheeryNot cheery; gloomy, pessimistic.
  • unconsolableSynonym of inconsolable.
  • unlivelyNot lively.
  • wistfulSad and thoughtful.
  • woebegoneOf a person: deeply affected or overwhelmed by suffering or trouble, and so filled with woe (“great distress or...
  • woefulFull of woe; sorrowful; distressed with grief or calamity.
  • wretchedCharacterized by or feeling deep affliction or distress; very miserable.
  • lamentful rareReplete with lamentation; mournful.
  • lumpish obsoleteMiserable, sad.
  • passionate obsolete
  • triste rareSad; sorrowful; gloomy.
  • tristful archaicSad, melancholic.
  • woe obsoleteWoeful; sorrowful.

adjectiveNot satisfied; unsatisfied.

adjectiveNot lucky; unlucky.

adjectiveNot suitable; unsuitable.

Opposite of unhappy

adjectiveNot happy; sad.

  • delighted
  • exuberant
  • glad
  • happyHaving a feeling arising from a consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, such as...
  • joyousFull of joy; happy.
  • joyfulFeeling or causing joy.

Meaning of unhappy

  1. adjective Not happy; sad.
  2. adjective Not satisfied; unsatisfied.
  3. adjective Not lucky; unlucky.

Full definition of unhappy

unhappy in other languages

Questions about synonyms of unhappy

What is another word for unhappy?
Unhappy has 120 synonyms on Word.ws, such as sad, depressed, miserable, heavy-hearted, low-spirited, grief-stricken, melancholy and sorrow-ridden.
What is the opposite of unhappy?
The opposite of unhappy is happy. Other antonyms of unhappy are joyful, joyous and glad.
What does unhappy mean?
Unhappy means not happy; sad.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: unhappy (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of unhappy.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/unhappy. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.