Unsuccessfully

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˌʌnsəkˈsɛsfəli/

Definitions

1. The process of trying to achieve a specific aim that ends without the desired outcome
2. In a manner that fails to produce the expected or desired outcome
3. Done in such a way that the goal was not met or the effort did not succeed

Etymology: "Unsuccessfully" is a plain formation built from English parts rather than a borrowed or coined rarity. It combines "unsuccessful," which is "un-" meaning "not" attached to "successful," with the adverbial suffix "-ly," which turns an adjective into a description of manner. Put together, the word describes doing something in a way that does not achieve its aim. The base beneath it, "success," comes from Latin "successus," meaning an outcome or result, related to the verb "succedere," to go up to or follow after. Its original sense was neutral, simply how something turned out, and only later did it come to mean a favourable outcome. The word "unsuccessfully" therefore carries a sense of failure built onto a term that once made no judgement about whether things went well.

Synonyms: ineffectively, futilely, in vain, without success

Antonyms: successfully, effectively, triumphantly, favorably