misadventure

noun

mis·​ad·​ven·​ture ˌmi-səd-ˈven-chər 

: misfortune, mishap

Synonyms

• adversity
• ill
• knock
• mischance
• misfortune
• mishap
• tragedy

Examples of misadventure in a Sentence

His vacation turned into a series of misadventures.

a string of financial misadventures eventually left him broke

Recent Examples on the Web

Google is injecting its search engine with more artificial intelligence that will enable people to voice questions about images and occasionally organize an entire page of results, despite the technology’s past misadventures with misleading information. —Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2024

But in doing so, writer-director James Watkins has swapped out malevolence for a tamer sense of misadventure. —Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024

Family Matters–part of the legendary TGIF family programming lineup from the 90s–showed how a lovable, hard-working family has to work even harder to find their place in a world of misadventures. —Devonne Goode, Parents, 5 Sep. 2024

An adaptation of the novel by Peter Brown, the film follows the mishaps and misadventures of Roz, a robot trying to survive — and thrive — in the wilderness of a remote island. —Mekita Rivas, refinery29.com, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mesaventure, from Anglo-French, from mesavenir to turn out badly, from mes- mis- + avenir to happen, from Latin advenire — more at adventure

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing misadventure

• death by misadventure

Kids Definition

misadventure

noun

mis·​ad·​ven·​ture ˌmis-əd-ˈven-chər 

: misfortune sense 2

Legal Definition

misadventure

noun

mis·​ad·​ven·​ture ˌmi-səd-ˈven-chər 

: an accident that causes serious injury or death to a person and that does not involve negligence, wrongful purpose, or unlawful conduct