Unhappy
/ʌnˈhæp.i/noun
Experiencing or expressing sadness, dissatisfaction, or lack of contentment.
Did you know?The word “happy” began with chance and fortune rather than emotion, linking modern sadness to an older worldview of luck, fate, and happenstance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*hampą
“Luck, fortune, or chance; the reconstructed source associated with later “hap” words.”
Old Norse
Old Norse
happ
“Good luck, favorable fortune, or what happens by chance.”
Middle English, 13th Century
Middle English
hap
“Chance, fortune, or an occurrence; either favorable or unfavorable.”
Middle English, 14th Century
Middle English
happy
“Fortunate, lucky, or favored by good circumstances.”
Middle English, 14th–15th Century
English
unhappy
“Unfortunate, unlucky, or not favored by fortune.”
Modern English
English
unhappy
“Sad, dissatisfied, or lacking contentment.”