What does unsuccessfully mean?
“Unsuccessfully” means that an action or attempt did not achieve its intended result. It is commonly used with verbs such as “try,” “attempt,” “apply,” “search,” “respond,” and “negotiate,” especially in formal reports and news coverage. The word focuses on the outcome rather than on the effort involved: an attempt can be made carefully and persistently and still be unsuccessful. It also differs from the related adjective “unsuccessful,” which describes a person, attempt, method, or result, whereas “unsuccessfully” modifies an action. Although its meaning is straightforward, the adverb is useful because it lets a speaker or writer state the result of an effort concisely. It is not inherently formal or informal and is used similarly in British and American English.
adverbIn a manner that does not achieve the desired result; without success.
- In a manner that fails to achieve the intended or desired outcome.
"The team tried several different strategies, but each attempt to solve the problem was unsuccessful."
"She applied for the grant unsuccessfully but remained optimistic about the next opportunity."
"The emergency team searched unsuccessfully for signs of anyone missing from the building."
One un- changes the result, while the -ly ending shows that the entire action was unsuccessful.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unsuccessfully come from?
The English adverb was formed by adding the suffix “-ly” to “unsuccessful,” which itself combines the prefix “un-” with “successful.” “Successful” belongs to the family of “success” and “succeed,” words that trace their origin to Latin successus, meaning a successful outcome or advance. The Latin verb behind these forms, succedere, originally referred to following or going after and later came to mean succeeding or accomplishing an aim.
How unsuccessfully is actually used
This is standard, neutral English, particularly common in formal reporting and in descriptions of attempts, searches, applications, negotiations, and efforts. It reports an outcome without necessarily implying that no effort was made.
Easily confused with unsuccessfully
“Unsuccessful” is an adjective describing an attempt or result, whereas “unsuccessfully” is an adverb describing how an action was carried out.