misfortune

noun

mis·for·tune | \ ˌmis-ˈfȯr-chən

Definition of misfortune

1a : an event or conjunction of events that causes an unfortunate or distressing result : bad luck by misfortune he fell into bad company had the misfortune to break his leg

b : an unhappy situation always ready to help people in misfortune

2 : a distressing or unfortunate incident or event misfortunes never come singly

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about misfortune

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Choose the Right Synonym for misfortune

misfortune, mischance, adversity, mishap mean adverse fortune or an instance of this. misfortune may apply to either the incident or conjunction of events that is the cause of an unhappy change of fortune or to the ensuing state of distress. never lost hope even in the depths of misfortune mischance applies especially to a situation involving no more than slight inconvenience or minor annoyance. took the wrong road by mischance adversity applies to a state of grave or persistent misfortune. had never experienced great adversity mishap applies to an often trivial instance of bad luck. the usual mishaps of a family vacation

Examples of misfortune in a Sentence

a victim of economic misfortune She endured her misfortune without complaint. It was my misfortune to be chosen first. Her injury was a great misfortune. He blamed the party's misfortunes on poor leadership.

Recent Examples on the Web

Spilling coffee all over your laptop is one of the most traumatic misfortunes known to man. — Joe Queenan, WSJ, "No Crying Over Spills —Unless They Flood Your Laptop," 31 Jan. 2019 Knowing this in advance won’t make the movie any less punishing: Between the indignities suffered by Pete and the steady trickle of misfortunes that befall perceptive, open-hearted Charley, Lean on Pete is a workout. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, "Lean on Pete Has Too Much Horse Heartbreak to Bear," 30 Mar. 2018 Jurors must weigh whether the aggravating circumstances of the crimes that Whitaker committed outweigh the mitigating factors of Whitaker's childhood misfortune and adult drug addiction. — Cory Shaffer, cleveland.com, "Jurors deliberate fate of Alianna DeFreeze's killer," 22 Feb. 2018 The daughter of a housewife and a cemetery worker, Sandra had grown up to know great misfortune, but she had never expected to know exile. — Kainaz Amaria, Vox, "2018, explained in pictures by women and non-binary photographers," 21 Dec. 2018 From a promising future to bankruptcy Wade tells the story of her family’s misfortunes in a careful, methodical fashion. — Katherine Long, The Seattle Times, "A Kirkland mother’s anguished phone call brings help she never imagined," 9 Dec. 2018 Each character grapples with private misfortune that’s all-too-painfully real. — Charles Mcnulty, latimes.com, "'The Humans' at the Ahmanson: Quite possibly the best cast of actors you can see anywhere," 21 June 2018 Now, North is committing again to an extremely specific idea: an instruction guide to rebuilding civilization for anyone with the misfortune of getting stuck in a broken time machine. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Here's a Guide for Reinventing the World If Your Time Machine Gets Stuck in the Past," 18 Sep. 2018 Today, the number 13 is synonymous with misfortune. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "Why Do People Think the Number 13 Is Unlucky? Let's Talk About Triskaidekaphobia," 29 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'misfortune.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.