be unsuccessful

/biː ʌn.səkˈses.fəl/

keinen Erfolg haben

Despite his efforts, he was unsuccessful in securing the job.

Trotz seiner Bemühungen hatte er keinen Erfolg bei der Jobsuche.

neutral

keinen Erfolg haben; scheitern

The project was unsuccessful due to poor planning.

Das Projekt war aufgrund schlechter Planung nicht erfolgreich.

She tried to start a business but was ultimately unsuccessful.

Sie versuchte, ein Unternehmen zu gründen, scheiterte aber letztlich.

Often used to describe outcomes where goals were not achieved despite attempts.

Kollokationen

be unsuccessful in doing somethingbei etwas keinen Erfolg habenan unsuccessful attemptein erfolgloser Versuch

Synonyme

fail come to nothing not succeed meet with failure

Antonyme

succeed be successful achieve one's goal

Profi-Tipp

Common Prepositions

The phrase is typically followed by 'in' when referring to an action (e.g., 'unsuccessful in passing the exam').

Wortursprung

The phrase combines the verb 'be' with the adjective 'unsuccessful', which derives from Middle English 'un-' (not) + 'successful' (attaining success). The term 'successful' comes from Latin 'successus' (outcome, success), from 'succedere' (to come after, succeed).

Verwendungshinweise

Used in both formal and informal contexts. Often paired with prepositions like 'in' (e.g., 'unsuccessful in an attempt').

Wortzerlegung

to exist in a specified state

verb

unsuccessful

not achieving the desired outcome

adjective

Englisch-Deutsch Wörterbuch