ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
an unfortunate chain of events destroyed the business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Recent Examples of unfortunate
An unfortunate amount of 1979's Moonraker style consists of spacesuits.
—
EW.com, 23 Mar. 2025
But that Near Future will cast an unfortunate, possibly unintended pall over the production two hours and 35 minutes later, but more about that then.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2025
Young boys are in an unfortunate spot where there is messaging that makes sense of this right now.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025
With a 6-5 record in 11 games post-All Star Weekend (including 2-3 in their last five), Tom Thibodeau's Knicks have been in a bit of a rut that began before Brunson's unfortunate injury.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
EW.com, 23 Mar. 2025
But that Near Future will cast an unfortunate, possibly unintended pall over the production two hours and 35 minutes later, but more about that then.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2025
Young boys are in an unfortunate spot where there is messaging that makes sense of this right now.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025
With a 6-5 record in 11 games post-All Star Weekend (including 2-3 in their last five), Tom Thibodeau's Knicks have been in a bit of a rut that began before Brunson's unfortunate injury.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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Economists and experts in foreign policy, trade, and business are warning that this approach could be disastrous and potentially land the country in significant stagflation, in which the economy would see a major slowdown, inflation would rise, and unemployment might also head upward.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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Mannes said the compromise child care bill could have disastrous implications.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Despite that success, Willard was unhappy with the program’s financial commitments.—
Taylor Lyons,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
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The extra time will presumably be used to fix whatever about the season executives are unhappy with.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Thirty years after her tragic death, the legacy and memory of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez is alive and well.—
Amy Contreras,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2025
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Underdogs don't come much more awkward than Carrie White (so memorably played by Sissy Spacek), the timid, tragic heroine of Brian De Palma's freaky Stephen King adaptation.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That is known as meconium aspiration syndrome – a potentially fatal condition that occurs in 5% to 10% of births but is treatable if diagnosed in time.—
Khwaga Ghani,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2025
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The ordeal ended with the fatal exchange of gunfire about 9:50 p.m., more than five hours after the first call to deputies.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This line of thinking drives our perception of an unfavorable risk skew, which leads to the third recurring theme: diversification.—
Jeffrey Schulze,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Why would foreigners accept such an unfavorable deal?—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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