unfortunate

adjective un·for·tu·nate \ ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət , -ˈfȯr-chə- \

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of unfortunate

1 a : not favored by fortune : unsuccessful, unlucky

an unfortunate young man

b : marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune

an unfortunate decision

2 a : infelicitous, unsuitable

an unfortunate choice of words

b : deplorable, regrettable

an unfortunate lack of taste

See unfortunate defined for English-language learners

See unfortunate defined for kids

Examples of unfortunate in a Sentence

She was unfortunate enough to have been chosen as an example.
an unfortunate chain of events
It's unfortunate that he couldn't be here for your birthday.
He has an unfortunate tendency to show up late.
an unfortunate choice of words

Recent Examples of unfortunate from the Web

Even companies who want to do the right thing have to deal with parking minimums or NIMBYs or the unfortunate truth that transit service in Silicon Valley is not keeping pace with need and demand.

— alissa walker, Curbed, "The design critic’s work will be honored by AIGA this week," 18 Apr. 2018
Both the league and organization agree the logo is inappropriate, but, for some reason, did not decide to drop the logo immediately, paving the way for such an unfortunate product to be sold.

— steven ruiz, For The Win, "MLB Shop removes Chief Wahoo hat with Jackie Robinson Day patch from site," 15 Apr. 2018
Economists also add that the timing of the scuffle is unfortunate as California has been on a roll.

— mark glover, sacbee, "California exporters worry that 'scuffle' could become costly trade war with China | The Sacramento Bee," 12 Apr. 2018
That would be unfortunate, because Taylor’s work, in addition to being often enthralling and riveting, is deceptively accessible.

— david a. graham, The Atlantic, "The Deceptively Accessible Music of Cecil Taylor," 10 Apr. 2018
Stoke were unfortunate the other day against Arsenal while Southampton should be very worried.

— SI.com, "BBC Pundit Jermaine Jenas Outlines the Reason Why Huddersfield Will Avoid Relegation," 8 Apr. 2018
There's an unfortunate stigma surrounding mental health that still keeps many people from talking about their own, especially in public.

— sophie saint thomas, Allure, "8 Celebrities Who Have Opened Up About Their Mental Health Struggles," 5 Apr. 2018
As noted, effort has been made to minimize the impact of this unfortunate and unexpected requirement.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "School system plans meeting to update community on status of Havre de Grace High roof repair," 4 Apr. 2018
The unfortunate truth is: To get an unobstructed view of Aurora Borealis, your best bet is to be outside and look up.

— liz stinson, Curbed, "Tiny glass cabin offers the ultimate Northern Lights show," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unfortunate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of unfortunate

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

unfortunate Synonyms

unfortunate

noun

Definition of unfortunate

: an unfortunate person

See unfortunate defined for English-language learners

Examples of unfortunate in a Sentence

a group of poor unfortunates

Recent Examples of unfortunate from the Web

As the threads of society break down, the poor unfortunates who survived the initial barrage don't so much live as merely exist in the post-apocalyptic ruins.

— peter bright, Ars Technica, "Sleep no more: Threads is coming to Blu-ray," 25 Jan. 2018
There are still unfortunates among us who have yet to lean forward and squint in disbelief at the grainy YouTube images capturing Tharpe, necklines high and hemlines low, coaxing the first, fiery licks from her Gibson SG.

— andrea simakis, cleveland.com, "'Marie and Rosetta' brings the music and moxie of Rock Hall inductee Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Cleveland Play House (Preview)," 21 Jan. 2018
Humor is generally the province of trolls; think of the motley assemblage of unfortunates in the slovenly writers’ room on 30 Rock, and that gives you an accurate picture of the setting in which most good jokes and satire are created in America.

— david kamp, vanityfair.com, "The Years with Graydon," 7 Sep. 2017
But before that, Wilkerson would spend that year haranguing unfortunates in the Hollywood community who would go on to become targets of the blacklist, often losing their careers.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "The Columnist Who Shaped Hollywood’s Most Destructive Witch Hunt," 28 July 2017
Worse yet, the percentage of such unfortunates who are unrepresented by counsel has skyrocketed in recent decades.

— jed s. rakoff, Slate Magazine, "Do Courtroom Lawyers Make a Difference?," 31 July 2017
But before that, Wilkerson would spend that year haranguing unfortunates in the Hollywood community who would go on to become targets of the blacklist, often losing their careers.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "The Hollywood Columnist Who Shaped Its Most Destructive Witch Hunt," 28 July 2017
While Gov. Sam Brownback and conservatives in the legislature blocked expansion of federal Medicaid to 150,000 Kansans, those unfortunates are not left to die on the streets.

— by charles hammer, kansascity.com, "Words of British officials after Irish Potato Famine are hauntingly familiar," 30 May 2017
Mr. Caws was taken by her kindness, even to those poor unfortunates who dared to come to the store looking for popular music.

— matthew schneier, New York Times, "For the Rock Star, Love Has Finally Landed," 2 Sep. 2016