unhappiness

unhappiness — noun

1. the emotional condition of someone who is sad, worried, or not satisfied with th

1.nounB1
Definition

the emotional condition of someone who is sad, worried, or not satisfied with their circumstances — for example, the unhappiness someone feels when their daily work does not match their hopes, or when a close relationship turns painful.

Example

Quinn tried to hide her unhappiness about the move to a new city.

unhappiness + about + noun phrase

Years of unhappiness at work finally led Kian to quit his job.

cause-and-effect: unhappiness at [place]

Common collocations
  • deep unhappiness
  • growing unhappiness
  • unhappiness about something
  • unhappiness with something
  • unhappiness at something
  • years/decades of unhappiness
  • hide one's unhappiness
  • cause unhappiness
  • lead to unhappiness
  • source of unhappiness
Synonyms
  • sadness

    more general and often tied to a specific loss or event; less about active dissatisfaction

  • misery

    stronger and more intense; suggests suffering that is hard to bear

  • discontent

    focuses on dissatisfaction with a situation rather than emotional pain

  • grief

    reserved for deep sorrow caused by death or permanent loss; much stronger than unhappiness

Antonyms
  • happiness

    the direct opposite state of joy or satisfaction

  • contentment

    a calm, peaceful satisfaction rather than active joy

Grammar Patterns

uncountable

often followed by 'with' + noun phrase

often followed by 'about' + noun phrase

Usage Note

Unlike sadness, which is usually about a specific event or loss, unhappiness often describes a longer-lasting state of dissatisfaction with life, work, or relationships. Frequently paired with prepositions about, with, or at.

Common Mistakes

I feel unhappiness about the test.
I am unhappy about the test.
'unhappiness' is a noun and sounds unnatural after 'feel' when describing a temporary feeling; use the adjective 'unhappy' instead.
She had many unhappinesses in her life.
She had a lot of unhappiness in her life.
'unhappiness' is uncountable and does not take a plural form.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe negative emotional states, but they differ in intensity and focus. Sadness is the broadest term — a gentle, expected reaction to loss or disappointment, such as the sadness of saying goodbye. Misery is far stronger: it suggests prolonged suffering or physical discomfort, as in the misery of a severe illness. Discontent is the most intellectual of the group — it refers to dissatisfaction with one's circumstances or society, not to emotional pain. Grief is the deepest and most specific, reserved for the sorrow caused by death or permanent separation. Unhappiness sits between sadness and discontent — it can be emotional (feeling down) or evaluative (dissatisfied with a situation), but it is less intense than misery and less cerebral than discontent. For example, you might feel unhappiness about a difficult job without being miserable; but the grief of losing a loved one is in a different category entirely.

sadness ↗misery ↗discontent ↗grief ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a deep sense of unhappiness
  • years of unhappiness
  • a source of unhappiness

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Formed in Middle English by adding the prefix un- (meaning 'not') to happy (from Old English 'hap', meaning 'luck, chance'), plus the noun suffix -ness. The word originally meant 'bad luck or misfortune' before shifting to its modern emotional meaning by the 16th century.