English Reference
Noun

unhappiness

n. C / U
B1 Intermediate US /ənˈhæpinɪs/ UK /ʌnhˈæpɪnəs/ un·hap·pi·ness UK spelling unhappinesses

n.the feeling of being sad or not satisfied with your life. It is the opposite of happiness.

n.the state of being sad, miserable, or dissatisfied. Uncountable in its general sense; countable when referring to specific instances or types of distress.


SIMPLE

She couldn't hide her unhappiness with the new rules.

CONTEXTUAL

The survey aims to measure the level of unhappiness among employees who work long hours without breaks.

COMPLEX

While wealth can provide comfort, it is rarely a permanent shield against the deep-seated unhappiness that stems from a lack of purpose or social connection.

Usage

Often paired with the preposition 'about' or 'with' to indicate the cause of the feeling.


From unhappy + -ness or un- + happiness.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated