UNSUCCESSFUL Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

unsuccessful

adjective

ˌən-sək-ˈses-fəl

Definition of unsuccessful

as in futile

producing no results an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unsuccessful Lawmakers have raised this issue over the years, but Congress has not made serious attempts to reform these provisions since the late 1990s’ unsuccessful efforts toward a patients’ bill of rights. — Miranda Yaver, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 She was found dead at her apartment in London, with the Poplar Coroner's Court confirming to PEOPLE at the time that police and paramedics tried to revive her but were unsuccessful. — Adam England, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 The crisis traces in part to JTBC’s costly, unsuccessful bet on strong viewership for the Milan Winter Olympics earlier this year, layered on top of a slumping advertising business. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 July 2026 Her 36-year-old NFL star boyfriend was also coming off another season playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, which ended with an unsuccessful campaign for a third consecutive Super Bowl ring. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsuccessful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsuccessful

Adjective

Exciting and futile The Humans to Titan Summit was both exciting and futile, said Pascal Lee, chairman of the Mars Institute and a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute.

— Leonard David, Space.com, 3 July 2026
All these plans acknowledge the experience gap, namely that training without arranging relevant work experience is often futile.

— Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of futile

Adjective

At any rate, upon election my first official act would be to file legislation to do away with the useless job.

— Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 2 July 2026
An ultra-secure cloud environment is useless if the identity management policy is lax or if access privileges are not reviewed on a strict need-to-know basis.

— Vicente Pava, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of useless

Adjective

As children, Vi and Jinx lose their parents in an abortive revolution in Zaun, and years later find themselves on opposite sides of an unfolding power struggle between the two city-states.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 22 May 2026
Those forces have remained in the country, albeit now with more direct control from the Kremlin (after Wagner’s bombastic chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led an abortive coup against Moscow and paid the ultimate price for it).

— Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 11 May 2026

Definition of abortive

Browse Nearby Words

unsubtle

unsuccessful

unsuitability

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“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsuccessful. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of unsuccessful

adjective

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