unsuccessful

[US]/ʌnsək'sesfʊl/
[UK]/ˌʌnsək'sɛsfl/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

adj. not achieving the desired outcome; not having success.

Phrases & Collocations

unsuccessful attempt

Example Sentences

an unsuccessful business venture.

an unsuccessful attempt to enter Parliament.

He made an unsuccessful attempt to stop the thief.

Unsuccessful in mathematics, the student turned to biology.

The problem merely ramified after the unsuccessful meeting.

I went into the job with my eyes open—everyone knows what happens to an unsuccessful manager.

They all looked tired and fretful after several unsuccessful trials.

All her attempts to find a better job were unsuccessful; it seemed that the dice were loaded against her.

In 2003, Turkey refused to accept the ship for shipbreaking, and in addition, a German ship broker was unsuccessful in his attempt to remove visible asbestos from ship in Italy when costs skyrocketed.

Real-world Examples

To their fury, they had been unsuccessful.

Source: 3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

So overall, was the journey unsuccessful?

Source: CET-6 Listening Past Exam Questions (with Translations)

And so far, people have been unsuccessful in exterminating them long term.

Source: CNN Selected March 2016 Collection

This was all unsuccessful, so he tried personal insults.

Source: Oliver Twist (abridged version)

There were three unsuccessful votes to find a replacement.

Source: CNN 10 Student English of the Month

Workers say negotiations have been unsuccessful as unions claim.

Source: AP Listening Collection April 2016

I think he would have seen himself as unsuccessful.

Source: Science in 60 Seconds - Scientific American September 2023 Compilation

The book looked like a list of unsuccessful experiments.

Source: Transformed into a Monster Doctor: Selected Works

Needless to say, the doctors were unsuccessful in helping him.

Source: Tales of Imagination and Creativity

So things that are hit or miss are often unsuccessful.

Source: Grandparents' Vocabulary Lesson

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