unfortunate

adjective

un·for·tu·nate | \ ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət

, -ˈfȯr-chə-\

Definition of unfortunate

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : not favored by fortune : unsuccessful, unlucky an unfortunate young man

b : marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune an unfortunate decision

2a : infelicitous, unsuitable an unfortunate choice of words

b : deplorable, regrettable an unfortunate lack of taste

unfortunate

noun

Definition of unfortunate (Entry 2 of 2)

: an unfortunate person

Other Words from unfortunate Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about unfortunate

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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: Adjective

In the end, all that separated the two sides were two of the most unfortunate goalkeeping mistakes ever witnessed in the Champions League, and perhaps the best goal ever scored in the Champions League final. — SI.com, "The Bitterest Pill: Why Real Madrid's Victory in UCL Final Belies Liverpool's True Quality," 29 May 2018 Odd and unfortunate things happened to the Tridents after that. — Andrew Turner, latimes.com, "Newport Harbor PONY tops Newport Beach in district championship game," 24 June 2018 The unfortunate thing about the regionals is nobody really wins, but there are losers. — Ken Goe, OregonLive.com, "King Cheserek returns to Hayward for tonight's Pre two-mile: Oregon track & field rundown," 25 May 2018 Throughout history, unfortunate accidents, maverick surgeries, disease and genetic mutations have helped scientists learn how different parts of the brain work. — Helen Thomson, WSJ, "Strange Stories of Extraordinary Brains—and What We Can Learn From Them," 29 June 2018 Loose fur, dirty paw prints and unfortunate accidents are equally inevitable. — Michelle Higgins, sacbee, "Limit the impact that dogs, cats unleash on orderliness | The Sacramento Bee," 25 May 2018 But to this fan, our sincerest apologies that the week took such an unfortunate turn. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "CBS Sparks Outrage Among 'NCIS' Fans After Temporarily Replacing the Show," 23 Jan. 2019 What happened today was very unfortunate not only for us, but also for all the people who worked day and night to bring this event to life. — Ana Colón, Glamour, "Everything You Need to Know About Dolce & Gabbana's Canceled Shanghai Fashion Show," 26 Nov. 2018 What happened today was very unfortunate not only for us, but also for all the people who worked day and night to bring this event to life. — Vogue, "Dolce & Gabbana Cancels Its Shanghai Great Show Amid Controversy," 21 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But that gentle slope has been known to cause strollers and wheelchairs to roll off as well, not to mention the intoxicated, the disoriented, wrestlers, and other unfortunates. — William Finnegan, The New Yorker, "Can Andy Byford Save the Subways?," 2 July 2018 These unfortunates spent hours each day chewing tough roots, choking down leaves and stems, munching on tiny berries and gorging on rare windfalls of meat, bone marrow and worms. — Nathan H. Lents, WSJ, "The Botch of the Human Body," 13 Apr. 2018 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

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.