as in unfortunate
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
a hard-luck ball club that never could get the breaks it needed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 hard-luck
While the Chiefs have been consistently strong, with some remarkable good fortune this season and continued horseshoe following them, the Bills have suffered some severe hard-luck losses including to the Chiefs in the recent playoff years.
—
Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
And after a hard-luck start to his career, Bateman getting in the end zone has become the ultimate good omen for the Ravens, who will face the Buffalo Bills Sunday night at Highmark Stadium in the AFC divisional round.
—Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
Ole Miss finished a hard-luck 5-6 with its final five losses coming by one score.
—Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
The redshirt freshman stayed away from a stomach bug that plagued the rest of the position group just weeks before the season, which proved to be an ominous sign of things to come for perhaps the most hard-luck unit in the College Football Playoff.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
The aftermath: Fister, a hard-luck 12-30 for Seattle, went 32-20 for the Tigers with a 2.98 postseason ERA.
—Tyler Kepner, The Athletic, 26 July 2024
Ticketed, booted, towed — there are a million hard-luck parking enforcement stories in the naked city.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024
His latest album, 2023’s Twenty on High, is a revelatory collection of hard-luck stories and working-class resilience.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2024
The rise from an impoverished, dysfunctional upbringing in hard-luck Appalachia to Yale Law School and the U.S. Senate is truly the stuff of political myth-making.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024
Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
And after a hard-luck start to his career, Bateman getting in the end zone has become the ultimate good omen for the Ravens, who will face the Buffalo Bills Sunday night at Highmark Stadium in the AFC divisional round.
—Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
Ole Miss finished a hard-luck 5-6 with its final five losses coming by one score.
—Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
The redshirt freshman stayed away from a stomach bug that plagued the rest of the position group just weeks before the season, which proved to be an ominous sign of things to come for perhaps the most hard-luck unit in the College Football Playoff.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
The aftermath: Fister, a hard-luck 12-30 for Seattle, went 32-20 for the Tigers with a 2.98 postseason ERA.
—Tyler Kepner, The Athletic, 26 July 2024
Ticketed, booted, towed — there are a million hard-luck parking enforcement stories in the naked city.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024
His latest album, 2023’s Twenty on High, is a revelatory collection of hard-luck stories and working-class resilience.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2024
The rise from an impoverished, dysfunctional upbringing in hard-luck Appalachia to Yale Law School and the U.S. Senate is truly the stuff of political myth-making.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-luck
Adjective
-
While injuries are always unfortunate, Lee’s absence should benefit a Horned Frogs team that struggled with Iowa State’s frontcourt on Sunday.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Feb. 2025
-
Over those few unfortunate seconds for Bills left guard David Edwards, Jones provided yet another vivid example of why he’s been a first team All-Pro for three years in a row.—
Dave Campbell,
Twin Cities,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Laviolette puts lines in a blender Clearly unhappy with his team’s effort against Pittsburgh on Friday, Laviolette made drastic changes to his lineup.—
Peter Baugh,
The Athletic,
9 Feb. 2025
-
The indie drama follows Diana (Rodriguez), an unhappy teenager who begins training at a boxing gym as a release for her frustrations, only to discover she's got a talent for the sport.—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
But just as endlessly funding the PA with few strings attached did not produce success, so, too, did unconditional support for the hapless Lebanese military, which wasted a fortune while Hezbollah only grew stronger.—
Elliott Abrams,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Doc and Zoe, two hapless kidnappers, have only one job: to deliver a hostage to Fritz, a high-ranking corrupt police inspector operating a for-ransom kidnapping mill.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hard-luck
Cite this Entry
“Hard-luck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-luck. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share