1
as in unfortunate
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
the unlucky campers had rain all week I'm so unlucky I don't bother to play the lottery an unlucky throw of the dice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
the settlers made the unlucky decision to cross the dangerous mountain pass in the middle of winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 unlucky
An arena spectacle with WWE auras is unusual for Dungeons & Dragons, the famously nerdy tabletop game of fantasy heroics and lucky (or unlucky) rolls of dice.
—
Eric Francisco, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025
Chris Christie’s flight from Detroit landed in Newark, N.J., on Thursday and was one of the unlucky arrivals without a dedicated gate assignment.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
Wharton was lucky and unlucky as a pass rusher — most of his sacks were clean-up plays, while most of his cleanest wins didn’t end in sacks.
—Vic Tafur, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Other unlucky policyholders may have been dropped just months before disaster hit.
—Ron Lieber, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Eric Francisco, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025
Chris Christie’s flight from Detroit landed in Newark, N.J., on Thursday and was one of the unlucky arrivals without a dedicated gate assignment.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
Wharton was lucky and unlucky as a pass rusher — most of his sacks were clean-up plays, while most of his cleanest wins didn’t end in sacks.
—Vic Tafur, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Other unlucky policyholders may have been dropped just months before disaster hit.
—Ron Lieber, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlucky
Adjective
-
The self-deportation of a University of Florida student reveals the new reality for many immigrants — any brush with the law can set off a chain of unfortunate events.—
Clara-Sophia Daly,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2025
-
This ancestor of mine was born at a good time for ornate garments, but at an unfortunate time and place for tuberculosis.—
Denise Snodell,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Despite his close relationship with Trump, Elon Musk is unhappy about tariffs, which stand to hurt the business empire of the world’s richest man.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
There have even been reports of police being called to deal with the rowdy behavior, not to mention some theater employees who are unhappy about the cleanup required.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unlucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlucky. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share