misfortune

noun

mis·​for·​tune ˌmis-ˈfȯr-chən 

1

a

: an event or conjunction of events that causes an unfortunate or distressing result : bad luck

I had the misfortune of being chosen to go first.

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

Her injury was a great misfortune.

Synonyms of misfortune

• tragedy
• hardship
• misery

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

His mother answered, and the woman offered to examine her family tree to locate ancestral sources of misfortune. —E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

The triple death was the latest misfortune to stalk the first manned Apollo mission. —Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026

For example, a compassionate person wants to alleviate suffering or misfortune, but that requires there be suffering or misfortune. —Michael Prinzing, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026

As the son falls out of an old relationship and into a new one, his moodiness acquires a new pathos—seemingly a symptom of the sheer pain of living rather than a response to any single misfortune. —Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for misfortune

• fortune

Kids Definition

misfortune

noun

mis·​for·​tune (ˈ)mis-ˈfȯr-chən 

1

: bad luck especially for a long period of time

2

: an unfortunate condition or event : disaster