Definition of unfortunate
1a : not favored by fortune : unsuccessful, unlucky an unfortunate young manb : marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune an unfortunate decision
2a : infelicitous, unsuitable an unfortunate choice of wordsb : deplorable, regrettable an unfortunate lack of taste
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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
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Here's hoping this was just an unfortunate, honest error on Athleta's part and not indicative of a bigger trend to come.
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Here's hoping this was just an unfortunate, honest error on Athleta's part and not indicative of a bigger trend to come.
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A new study found that a change in cervical cancer screening guidelines has had an unfortunate, unintended effect.
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In the public imagination, America is the brash young houseguest: violent, forthright with opinion, unimpressed by pretentious tradition, and permanently unable to shake off an unfortunate background in trade.
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To many in northeastern Nigeria who are suffering from the effects of the insurgency, the Chibok girls have become an unfortunate example of how celebrity—no matter how unwanted—skews attention and funding.
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Fowler said that any incidents involving any child are difficult ones, but this call was especially heartbreaking because of the unfortunate deaths of the two children.
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Nothing is certain, but barring an unforeseen, unfortunate turn of events, Ball has little chance of falling to the No. 8 pick and into the clutches of Phil Jackson, the president of the Knicks, a k a Team Triangle.
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Some presidents are unfortunate enough to face one of these circumstances; with the midterms still more than a year away, Donald Trump already seems to have all those bases covered.
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
unfortunate
Definition of unfortunate
: an unfortunate person
Examples of unfortunate in a Sentence
a group of poor unfortunates
Recent Examples of unfortunate from the Web
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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.
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Mr. Caws was taken by her kindness, even to those poor unfortunates who dared to come to the store looking for popular music.
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
1683
UNFORTUNATE Defined for English Language Learners
unfortunate
Definition of unfortunate for English Language Learners
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: an unfortunate person
UNFORTUNATE Defined for Kids
unfortunate
playDefinition of unfortunate for Students
1 : not fortunate : unlucky the unfortunate victim an unfortunate incident
2 : accompanied by or resulting in bad luck an unfortunate decision
3 : not proper or suitable an unfortunate remark
unfortunately
adverb Unfortunately, no one was home.Learn More about unfortunate
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for unfortunate Spanish Central: Translation of unfortunate Nglish: Translation of unfortunate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of unfortunate for Arabic speakers
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