un ‧ suc ‧ cess ‧ ful /ˌʌnsəkˈsesf ə l◂/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ success , ↑ succession , ↑ successor ; adjective : ↑ successful ≠ ↑ unsuccessful , ↑ successive ; verb : ↑ succeed ; adverb : ↑ successfully ≠ ↑ unsuccessfully ]
not having a successful result or not achieving what you wanted to achieve:
an unsuccessful attempt to climb Everest
unsuccessful in (doing) something
We have been unsuccessful in finding a new manager.
—unsuccessfully adverb :
He tried unsuccessfully to make them change their decision.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ largely unsuccessful
The advertising campaign has been largely unsuccessful.
▪ singularly unsuccessful (=unsuccessful to a great and noticeable degree)
The education service has been singularly unsuccessful in achieving greater equality.
▪ ultimately unsuccessful
In both cases negotiators were ultimately unsuccessful.
■ nouns
▪ an unsuccessful attempt/bid/effort
We made several unsuccessful attempts to tackle the problem.
▪ an unsuccessful campaign
He quit politics following his unsuccessful presidential campaign.
■ verbs
▪ prove unsuccessful
The search for a planet like the Earth has so far proved unsuccessful.