unlucky

adjective

un·lucky | \ ˌən-ˈlə-kē

Definition of unlucky

1 : marked by adversity or failure an unlucky year

2 : likely to bring misfortune : inauspicious an unlucky number

3 : having or meeting with misfortune unlucky people

4 : producing dissatisfaction : regrettable

Other Words from unlucky Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about unlucky

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Examples of unlucky in a Sentence

She was unlucky enough to get a flat tire on the way to her job interview. Some people think that 13 is an unlucky number. He thinks it's unlucky to have a black cat cross your path.

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s making an unlucky start to the year for the gambling hub not so bad after all. — Jacky Wong, WSJ, "Following the Tourist Trail to Macau Looks Like the Best Bet," 1 Mar. 2019 For those unlucky enough to live outside the radius of a major city, Bond has a new project with JW Anderson, advertising the label’s new Keyts bag. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Justin Vivian Bond Would Like to Sell You a Bag," 20 Mar. 2019 Sunday’s result: Queen Shelly Ann was very unlucky, hitting the side of the gate, then swerving in with her jockey losing the left iron until near the 5/8ths mark. — John Cherwa, latimes.com, "Racing! Happy Fourth of July," 4 July 2018 Jill stood nearby in a green dress, a color that Baffert claims is unlucky and Jill insisted her husband gave her permission to wear. — Tim Layden, SI.com, "Justify Elicits Comparisons to American Pharoah in First Step of Following Same Historic Path," 5 May 2018 The most common theory that explains why the number 13 is deemed unlucky is actually based on Biblical Christianity. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "Why Do People Think the Number 13 Is Unlucky? Let's Talk About Triskaidekaphobia," 29 Aug. 2018 During her 20 years in animal rescue, Boucher has seen her share of animals that have been abused, neglected and just plain unlucky. — Ruben Vives, latimes.com, "Puppies found with a missing foot and broken jaws in Oakland; authorities launch probe," 30 May 2018 Nine months of unwanted pain and possibly death is not an acceptable punishment for being unlucky while engaging in an almost universally practiced past time. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why A Pro-Life World Has A Lot of Dead Women In It," 19 June 2017 Town were actually unlucky not to get anything from the game and were arguably the better side on the day, but Wagner chose to focus on the bigger picture after the final whistle. — SI.com, "David Wagner Commends Huddersfield's Staff Following Successful First Premier League Season," 14 May 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near unlucky

Statistics for unlucky

Last Updated

24 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for unlucky

The first known use of unlucky was circa 1530

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More Definitions for unlucky

unlucky

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of unlucky

: having bad luck

: causing bad luck

: resulting from bad luck

See the full definition for unlucky in the English Language Learners Dictionary

unlucky

adjective

un·lucky | \ ˌən-ˈlə-kē

unluckier; unluckiest

Kids Definition of unlucky

1 : not fortunate : having bad luck He's been unlucky in love.

2 : marked by bad luck or failure an unlucky day

3 : likely to bring misfortune Are black cats really unlucky?

4 : causing distress or regret … she couldn't ignore the throbbing soreness in her thumb where the thorn had left its unlucky mark.— Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising