unfortunate

1 of 2

adjective

un·​for·​tu·​nate

ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət, 

-ˈfȯr-chə- 

1

a

: not favored by fortune : unsuccessful, unlucky

an unfortunate young man

b

: marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune

an unfortunate decision

an unfortunate experience/result

2

a

: infelicitous, unsuitable

an unfortunate choice of words

b

: deplorable, regrettable

an unfortunate lack of taste

unfortunate

2 of 2

noun

literary : an unfortunate person

a group of poor unfortunates

Synonyms of unfortunate

Adjective

• disastrous
• fatal
• catastrophic

Examples of unfortunate in a Sentence

Adjective

She was unfortunate enough to have been chosen as an example.

an unfortunate chain of events

It's unfortunate that he couldn't be here for your birthday.

He has an unfortunate tendency to show up late.

an unfortunate choice of words

Noun

a group of poor unfortunates

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

These unfortunate souls were supposed to stay in their birthplace, hoping church charity would sustain them. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Artistic but flighty, Deborah ends up at her parents’ alma mater when an unfortunate incident gets her NYU Tisch School of the Arts acceptance rescinded. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

Noun

Hundreds of unfortunates—hikers, climbers, skiers, snowboarders—die in the Austrian Alps each year, but these fatalities rarely result in criminal charges. — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

That’s significant — and ironic — because Bremen were the great unfortunates within the Woltemade situation. — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1683, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unfortunate

• importunate
• fortunate

Kids Definition

unfortunate

1 of 2 adjective

un·​for·​tu·​nate ˌən-ˈfȯrch-(ə-)nət 

1

a

: not fortunate : unlucky

b

: showing, accompanied by, or resulting in misfortune

an unfortunate experience

unfortunate investments

2

a

: unsuitable, infelicitous

an unfortunate choice of words

b

: deplorable sense 1

an unfortunate lack of taste

unfortunately adverb

unfortunate

2 of 2 noun

: an unfortunate person