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

There will be five roster spots up for grabs, with one likely secured by whomever Dallas selects with its lottery pick, but there’s room for Bagley, especially as an emergency center option in case Dallas encounters more injury misfortune. —Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026

But that major advance might have been reduced to a lateral move by the misfortune suffered in Milan, where Kevin Fiala broke his leg and was pronounced out for the season. —Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026

Antonee Robinson had hoped his misfortune was behind him this season. —Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026

But there’s a network of people looking to cash in on others’ misfortunes by renting out aging RVs to those searching for housing without a lease or tenant protections. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Feb. 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