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
Attempts to contact Allen for comment Wednesday were unsuccessful.
—
Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Over the years, state lawmakers have made several efforts to modernize the formula, but have been unsuccessful.
—Verdaillia Turner, AJC.com, 7 Jan. 2026
While authorities tried to use Tasers, attempts to stop the suspect were unsuccessful.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Beane was unsuccessful at acquiring boundary receiver help for Allen, but the Las Vegas Raiders traded Meyers for fourth- and sixth-round draft choices.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsuccessful. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
unsuccessful
adjective
un·suc·cess·ful
ˌən(t)-sək-ˈses-fəl
: not successful : not having or producing success
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