un·for·tu·nate
ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət,
-ˈfȯr-chə-
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
: an unfortunate person
Synonyms
Examples of unfortunate in a Sentence
Adjective
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
Noun
a group of poor unfortunates
Recent Examples on the Web
David Axe, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Norwegian educators say this is unfortunate, since children new to Norway are the ones who could benefit the most from its child care system and from more exposure to the Norwegian language.
—Jackie Mader, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2024
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024
The two unfortunates who’ve been cast as his keepers are his husband, Martin (Ben Whishaw), and Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos), with whom Tomas strikes up a romance.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for unfortunate 
Adjective
The brigade led the Russian attack on the western edge of the Ukrainian salient last week, initially advancing several miles—and capturing those unfortunate drone operators—before Ukrainian counterattacks blunted its momentum.
—David Axe, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Norwegian educators say this is unfortunate, since children new to Norway are the ones who could benefit the most from its child care system and from more exposure to the Norwegian language.
—Jackie Mader, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2024
Noun
One of those unfortunates is the movie’s protagonist, Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre), a young Black man who is cycling into town, a knapsack on his back, in order to put up bail for a cousin.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024
The two unfortunates who’ve been cast as his keepers are his husband, Martin (Ben Whishaw), and Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos), with whom Tomas strikes up a romance.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for unfortunate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unfortunate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unfortunate
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfortunate. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unfortunate
1 of 2 adjective
un·for·tu·nate
ˌən-ˈfȯrch-(ə-)nət
1
a
: not fortunate : unlucky
b
: showing, accompanied by, or resulting in misfortune
an unfortunate experience
unfortunate investments
2
a
: unsuitable, infelicitous
an unfortunate choice of words
b
: deplorable sense 1
an unfortunate lack of taste
unfortunately
adverb
unfortunate
2 of 2 noun
: an unfortunate person
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