misfortune

noun mis·for·tune \ ˌmis-ˈfȯr-chən \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: misfortune in a Sentence

Definition of misfortune

1 a : 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

See misfortune defined for English-language learners

See misfortune defined for kids

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 of misfortune from the Web

Not bad for the gentle man with the pipe who preserved for posterity the smiles and misfortunes of freckle-faced little kids who meet again on Saturday.

— thomas farragher, BostonGlobe.com, "To Rockwell fans, their faces may look familiar," 6 July 2018
Heading into Monday’s round of 16 clash with Brazil, Mexico has departed at this juncture six times in a row, finding various methods of malady and misfortune but with always the same result.

— martin rogers, USA TODAY, "Why the World Cup hurts so much for Mexico," 1 July 2018
Others just shared similar stories of food misfortunes that turned into freebies.

— caitlin o'kane, CBS News, "Reese's sends care package to a man whose Reese's cup was missing peanut butter," 26 June 2018
Perhaps the apt comparison here is to Woody Allen, reconfiguring his idea of Jewish misfortune as wryness and working it out with a shrink.

— constance grady, Vox, "Your guide to the 17 most important nominees at this year’s Tonys," 7 June 2018
Cincinnati Reds manager Jim Riggleman discusses Brandon Finnegan's struggles after an 8-5 loss to the Miami Marlins Wochit Rock Bottom: Lifestyle that is usually caused by poor life choices or a string of misfortune.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty column: Have the 2018 Cincinnati Reds finally reached rock bottom?," 7 May 2018
Chiefs fans will remember the agonizing playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans for Marcus Mariota’s touchdown pass to himself, some puzzling officiating or another head-shaking moment in a brew of misfortune.

— blair kerkhoff, kansascity, "Intent wasn't defense, defense, defense. It just worked that way for Chiefs | The Kansas City Star," 30 Apr. 2018
Her 30 minutes of play on Friday marked what the Thorns hope will end a recent spell of misfortune.

— tim brown, OregonLive.com, "Tobin Heath returns as Portland Thorns settle for 1-1 draw with Washington Spirit," 20 Apr. 2018
At the end of this week, shortly after 7:00 Thursday evening Eastern time, the planet Mercury will enter apparent retrograde motion, marking the beginning of a three-week span of misfortune down on Earth.

— wilder davies, Time, "Mercury Is Entering Retrograde Again. This Is Why So Many People Care," 22 Mar. 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.

First Known Use of misfortune

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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misfortune Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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.