misadventure

noun

mis·​ad·​ven·​ture ˌmi-səd-ˈven-chər 

: misfortune, mishap

Synonyms of misadventure

• misfortune
• 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

With humor and charm, the narrator recounts Ricky Daddy’s misadventures in love, until the narrative begins to shift in ways that cast the story in a different light. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 July 2026

Ocean Vashti Jude — A writer and director focused on dramas about rowdy characters, people on the downside of advantage, and the misadventures of having to work at life, Ocean is expanding into television directing. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 June 2026

While many of the fictional locations resist definitive identification, a general consensus has been reached on the probable real-world geography of Odysseus’s many misadventures. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026

Unfortunately, everything else in this misadventure, from annoying love interests to cloying sidekicks, is a minecart going off the rails. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 June 2026

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

Rhymes for misadventure

• peradventure
• adventure
• debenture
• indenture
• bencher
• denture
• quencher
• trencher
• venture

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