unfortunate

adjective

ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət
Definition of unfortunatenext
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune an unfortunate chain of events destroyed the business

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2
as in unhappy
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck up to that point in her life she had been unfortunate in love

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress an unfortunate choice of words that would later prove to be embarrassing for the talk show host

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unfortunate In the caption of his social media post, the Boston Blue actor shared further context surrounding the unfortunate plane incident. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2026 To make matters worse, India’s Supreme Court, another vital democratic institution, has also played an unfortunate role in this train of events. — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026 The unfortunate crew of the doomed vessel were likely sailing to the west when disaster struck, the researchers wrote in a study about the wreck that was published earlier this year. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026 Amid the movie’s unfortunate box office run, various Hollywood celebrities and industry names have rallied around Cruise and the movie. — Zack Sharf, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
  1. disastrous
  2. unhappy
  3. tragic
  4. fatal
  5. catastrophic
Adjective
  • Prolonged pump stoppages could lead to a disastrous local scenario of ruptured water supply, district heating, and sewage pipes, even if electricity remains available elsewhere in the country.
    — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Yet, the Royals are sitting at home after a disastrous 69-93 campaign.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • Many of the women in the packed courtroom gallery appeared unhappy when the sentences were rendered.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Andy’s view Almost 14 years into Xi Jinping’s norm-busting reign, just about everybody is unhappy with his economy.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • Flanagan incorporates video interviews as a framing device, in which surviving witnesses recount their memories of the tragic events.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The best memories can sometimes come to the forefront, but Jay’s first memories of his dad are really tragic ones.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of tragic
Adjective
  • Speed cameras have been shown to reduce speeding by 31% to 82% and fatal crashes by 53% to 71%, according to the Department of Transportation.
    — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Kumar faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person in Deschutes County stemming from the fatal wreck.
    — Eric Mack , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • According to authorities, no one tried to help Browner, who suffered catastrophic injuries.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Engineers in the United States are using sound to identify potential catastrophic failures of drones.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of catastrophic

Browse Nearby Words

unforthcoming
unfortunate
unfortunately
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Cite this Entry

“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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