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 legb : an unhappy situation always ready to help people in misfortune
2 : a distressing or unfortunate incident or event misfortunes never come singly
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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
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If a novelist needs to cut down a number of his characters in the prime of their lives, or deliver some other collective misfortune, a wedding is a plausible means of getting them all in the same room at the same time.
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Though the disappearance was unforeseeable — involving, among other misfortunes, a car crash, a wanton tide and a shallow grave — every step leading up to it gets full scrutiny.
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Although Koehler was hit hard, some misfortune contributed to his demise.
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Seventeen minutes after Sinclair’s goal, Barnhart found herself on the wrong side of misfortune once more.
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Lyft’s refusal to gloat publicly over the misfortunes of the Competitor-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is a savvy maneuver from a company that has spent years positioning itself as the friendly, laid-back alternative to Uber’s cutthroat corporate ethos.
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Since 2014, Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest and most-populous nation, has staggered through a series of misfortunes that harken back to the plagues of the Old Testament.
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Stevens had her share of misfortune during the collegiate season.
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But MMA is a game of matchups and that is exactly where Holly’s string of misfortune came from.
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
Synonym Discussion of misfortune
MISFORTUNE Defined for English Language Learners
misfortune
playDefinition of misfortune for English Language Learners
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: bad luck
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: an unlucky condition or event
MISFORTUNE Defined for Kids
misfortune
playDefinition of misfortune for Students
1 : bad luck
2 : an unfortunate situation or event
Learn More about misfortune
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for misfortune Spanish Central: Translation of misfortune Nglish: Translation of misfortune for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of misfortune for Arabic speakers
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