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

That film starring Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin had the misfortune of opening during the pandemic and going straight to VOD. —Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 10 Jan. 2026

Merriam-Webster defines it as the description of someone or something in a state of possibly irreversible misfortune and hardship. —Brenda Looper, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026

What traits, decisions, or misfortunes exceed a person’s jurisdiction? —Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026

That’s Jets-level misfortune; the football gods telling you to pack it up for the season. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025

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