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

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

What is anxiety and how to recognize it Anxiety is characterized by apprehension and physical symptoms of tension in someone anticipating or fearing potential danger, catastrophe or misfortune, according to the American Psychological Association. —Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 22 Jan. 2026

And in an essay published over the weekend, another emergency physician says that the show’s decision to focus on the main character’s anguish over Covid paints the pandemic as a sad misfortune, rather than a moral failure. —Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 21 Jan. 2026

Embodying a character as evil as Stephen has made the far more relaxed White—whose real-life mother, Katey Sagal, plays his character’s troubled mother on the series—relish the character’s small misfortunes. —Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 20 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