as in futile
producing no results
an unsuccessful attempt to fix the faucet ourselves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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
Drawn from sessions over a period of five years, Down in the Groove was commercially unsuccessful and critically panned, but by the end of the year Dylan was on an upswing with the release of the Traveling Wilburys’ multiplatinum debut.
—
Al Shipley, SPIN, 25 Dec. 2024
Patrick Mahomes engineered an 11-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a Kareem Hunt 2-yard rushing touchdown to make it 22-10 after the Chiefs' two-point conversion was unsuccessful.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 25 Dec. 2024
Several countries pooled together $150 million, which resulted in an unsuccessful three-month search.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
Stabilize leadership and prepare to scale down, S&P warns
After CTU and CPS asking for more state funds earlier this year proved unsuccessful, new revenue from Springfield is unlikely, the S&P noted.
—Sarah MacAraeg, Chicago Tribune, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsuccessful 
Al Shipley, SPIN, 25 Dec. 2024
Patrick Mahomes engineered an 11-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a Kareem Hunt 2-yard rushing touchdown to make it 22-10 after the Chiefs' two-point conversion was unsuccessful.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 25 Dec. 2024
Several countries pooled together $150 million, which resulted in an unsuccessful three-month search.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
Stabilize leadership and prepare to scale down, S&P warns
After CTU and CPS asking for more state funds earlier this year proved unsuccessful, new revenue from Springfield is unlikely, the S&P noted.
—Sarah MacAraeg, Chicago Tribune, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unsuccessful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsuccessful
Adjective
-
With dwindling options, Iran also withdrew its allied militias, recognizing that fighting for Assad would be futile.Natasha Hall, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2024
-
This prospect seems likely because the ACLU is poised to pursue the case if the government drops out, making withdrawal by the new Trump administration potentially futile.Catherine Cole, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
This is a fashion collab designed for women’s bodies to be looked at, but the functionality is useless.Jamie Aranoff, Outside Online, 12 Dec. 2024
-
It was built on NBA men who subsidized that useless league for decades.Asher Notheis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
One is Eliot Spitzer, who during his abortive tenure as governor, knocked heads to get slow-mo insurers to pay the giant settlement that a court had awarded to Silverstein.Justin Davidson, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2024
-
The picture arrives, of course, at a fallow time for Marvel after a string of duds and an abortive attempt to introduce a new superhero phase following the climactic, stage-clearing (and absurdly lucrative) battles of Avengers: Endgame.Zoe Guy, Vulture, 25 July 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near unsuccessful
Cite this Entry
“Unsuccessful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsuccessful. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share