unsuccessful

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Related to unsuccessful: unsuccessfully

un·suc·cess·ful

(ŭn′sək-sĕs′fəl)

adj.

1. Having an unfavorable outcome: an unsuccessful venture.

2. Failing to attain something desired or intended: an unsuccessful entrepreneur.

un′suc·cess′ful·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

unsuccessful

(ˌʌnsəkˈsɛsfʊl)

adj

not having succeeded

unsuccessfully adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

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Adj.	1.	unsuccessful - not successful; having failed or having an unfavorable outcome defeated - beaten or overcome; not victorious; "the defeated enemy" unfortunate - not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune; "an unfortunate turn of events"; "an unfortunate decision"; "unfortunate investments"; "an unfortunate night for all concerned" unprofitable - producing little or no profit or gain; "deposits abandoned by mining companies as unprofitable" successful - having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome; "a successful architect"; "a successful business venture"
	2.	unsuccessful - failing to accomplish an intended result; "an abortive revolt"; "a stillborn plot to assassinate the President" abortive, stillborn unfruitful - not fruitful; not conducive to abundant production

unsuccessful

adjective

1. failed, useless, ineffective, vain, futile, fruitless, unproductive, abortive, unavailing, bootless a second unsuccessful operation on his knee
failed productive, worthwhile, successful, useful, thriving, flourishing, prosperous, fruitful, remunerative

2. unlucky, losing, defeated, frustrated, unfortunate, foiled, hapless, balked, luckless, ill-starred The unsuccessful competitors left with nothing.
unlucky winning, triumphant, victorious, lucky, fortunate

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

unsuccessful

adjective

Having no useful result:

barren, bootless, fruitless, futile, unavailing, unprofitable, useless, vain.

Idiom: in vain.

Translations

غَيْرُ نَاجِح

neúspěšnýnezdařilý

resultatløs

erfolglos

αποτυχημένος

fallido fracasado frustrado

epäonnistunut

abortif infructueux

neuspješan

fallito non riuscito

不成功に終わった

실패한

neuspešen

misslyckad

ไม่ประสบความสำเร็จ

başarısız

không thành công

不成功的

unsuccessful

[ˈʌnsəkˈsesfʊl] ADJ [attempt, effort] → inútil, infructuoso; [appeal, search, job application] → infructuoso
he embarked on an unsuccessful business venture → se embarcó en un negocio que no tuvo éxito or que fracasó
an unsuccessful writer → un escritor que no consiguió el éxito, un escritor fracasado
to be unsuccessful → no tener éxito, fracasar
their marriage was unsuccessful → el matrimonio fracasó
we regret to inform you that your application for the post has been unsuccessful → lamentamos informarle que no ha sido seleccionado para el puesto de trabajo solicitado
they were unsuccessful in their efforts to reach an agreement → fracasaron en sus esfuerzos por llegar a un acuerdo
to be unsuccessful in (doing) sth: he was unsuccessful in getting a job → no consiguió or logró encontrar trabajo
a search for the weapon proved unsuccessful → la búsqueda del arma resultó ser infructuosa

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

unsuccessful

[ˌʌnsəkˈsɛsfʊl] adj

[attempt] → infructueux/euse; [proposal] → rejeté(e); [marriage] → malheureux/euse; [operation] → qui ne réussit pas; [negotiations, campaign] → infructueux/euse; [efforts] → vain(e)
His efforts were unsuccessful → Ses efforts étaient vains.
to be unsuccessful [application] → ne pas être retenu(e)

[writer, artist] → qui n'a pas de succès; [candidate, applicant] → malheureux/euse, non retenu(e); [businessman] → qui ne réussit pas
to be unsuccessful [person] → ne pas réussir
to be unsuccessful in doing sth → ne pas réussir à faire qch
to be unsuccessful at doing sth → ne pas réussir à faire qch

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

unsuccessful

adj negotiations, venture, visit, meeting, person etc → erfolglos, ergebnislos; writer, painter → erfolglos, ohne Erfolg; candidate → abgewiesen; attempt → vergeblich; marriage, outcome → unglücklich; to prove unsuccessful → sich als erfolglos erweisen; I tried to persuade him but was unsuccessful → ich habe versucht, ihn zu überreden, hatte aber keinen Erfolg; to be unsuccessful in doing something → keinen Erfolg damit haben, etw zu tun; to be unsuccessful in one’s efforts to do something → erfolglos in seinem Bemühen sein, etw zu tun; he is unsuccessful in everything he does → nichts gelingt ihm; he was unsuccessful in his exam → er hat kein Glück in seinem Examen gehabt; he is unsuccessful with women → er hat kein Glück or keinen Erfolg bei Frauen; unfortunately, your application has been unsuccessful → wir haben uns leider nicht zur Annahme Ihrer Bewerbung entschließen können

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

unsuccessful

[ˌʌnsəkˈsɛsfʊl] adj (gen) → che non ha successo; (writer) → fallito/a; (businessman) → di scarso successo
to be unsuccessful (play, book, actor) → non avere successo (idea) → non avere fortuna (attempt, marriage, negotiation) → non riuscire, fallire (application) → avere esito negativo
to be unsuccessful in an exam → non superare un esame
to be unsuccessful in an attempt to do sth → fallire nel tentativo di fare qc

unsuccessful

→ غَيْرُ نَاجِح neúspěšný resultatløs erfolglos αποτυχημένος fallido epäonnistunut infructueux neuspješan non riuscito 不成功に終わった 실패한 niet succesvol mislykket nieudany malsucedido безуспешный misslyckad ไม่ประสบความสำเร็จ başarısız không thành công 不成功的

References in classic literature ?

But the Madagonians were unsuccessful, which so chagrined them that never thereafter in all their land was a Novakatkan secure in property or life.

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He was equally unsuccessful with the potman who was just unlocking the doors of the public-house by Horsell Bridge.

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I opened my second innings by treating him with uncommon respect, for I knew that his little arm soon tired if he was unsuccessful, and then when he sent me loose ones I banged him to the railings.

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I embarked in March, 1622, in the same fleet with the Count Vidigueira, on whom the king had conferred the viceroyship of the Indies, then vacant by the resignation of Alfonso Noronha, whose unsuccessful voyage in the foregoing year had been the occasion of the loss of Ormus, which being by the miscarriage of that fleet deprived of the succours necessary for its defence, was taken by the Persians and English.

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I conclude, therefore that, fortune being changeful and mankind steadfast in their ways, so long as the two are in agreement men are successful, but unsuccessful when they fall out.

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He was nowhere to be met with; every search for him was equally unsuccessful, in morning lounges or evening assemblies; neither at the Upper nor Lower Rooms, at dressed or undressed balls, was he perceivable; nor among the walkers, the horsemen, or the curricle-drivers of the morning.

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d'Escayrac de Lauture made an equally unsuccessful attempt to reach the famous sources of the Nile.

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But again she was unsuccessful. Three guesses; four guesses; five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten she made, and still not one of them was right!

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He was very well aware that in their eyes the position of an unsuccessful lover of a girl, or of any woman free to marry, might be ridiculous.

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Aurelia managed this herself, and so it proved a home at least, and a place for the unsuccessful Lorenzo to die and to be buried from, a duty somewhat too long deferred, many thought, which he performed on the day of Mira's birth.

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The condition of the unsuccessful minority is truly pitiable.

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The expedition, however, was unsuccessful, as most commercial expedients are prone to be, where the dull patronage of government is counted upon to outvie the keen activity of private enterprise.