misadventure

noun

mis·​ad·​ven·​ture ˌmi-səd-ˈven-chər How to pronounce misadventure (audio)

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
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.
His credulity led to misadventures the details of which are so picayune that Chernow’s emphasis on them can be maddening. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025 A good number of laughs, many of them from a commanding Salma Hayek as herself, carry an episode that ultimately gets lost in a meta-structural hall of mirrors reducing real concerns into a multiverse misadventure. Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025 Seema, the eldest daughter, settles in Beverly Hills and dies shortly before younger sister Shirin’s misadventure in Aspen. Liz Ohanesian, Oc Register, 5 Apr. 2025 Image ‘Death of a Unicorn’ On the drive to his boss’s mansion, Elliot (Paul Rudd) hits and nearly kills a unicorn, leading to madcap misadventures in this horror-comedy directed by Alex Scharfman. The New York Times, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for misadventure

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of misadventure was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misadventure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misadventure. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

misadventure

noun
mis·​ad·​ven·​ture ˌmis-əd-ˈven-chər How to pronounce misadventure (audio)

Legal Definition

misadventure

noun
mis·​ad·​ven·​ture ˌmi-səd-ˈven-chər How to pronounce misadventure (audio)
: an accident that causes serious injury or death to a person and that does not involve negligence, wrongful purpose, or unlawful conduct

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