HARD-LUCK Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

hard-luck

adjective

ˈhärd-ˌlək

Definition of hard-luck

as in unfortunate

having, prone to, or marked by bad luck a hard-luck ball club that never could get the breaks it needed

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hard-luck For The Times) Boosted by a massive influx of cash from rental giant Airbnb, some of McKinney’s ads played up his hard-luck upbringing in one of New Jersey’s most violent cities. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026 Both her audition and her callback had fallen flat, but the company must have figured that casting an amateur from hard-luck Butte as Lucetta would make good press. — Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 Lauridsen, a junior right-hander, has been a hard-luck pitcher this season. — Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 5 May 2026 There’s some dark subject matter, and some hard-luck people on the fringes. — New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard-luck

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-luck

Adjective

That is the unfortunate part of a tenure full of expansion, media-rights billions and two transformational collective bargaining agreements.

— Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Moore and his allies are presenting gerrymandering as an unfortunate response to an acute political crisis, but trying to gerrymander Maryland in favor of Democrats is far from a new effort.

— Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of unfortunate

Adjective

During these walking meditations my notebook starts to feel suspiciously similar to the luckless young climber’s selfie camera.

— Brian Laidlaw, Longreads, 1 Sep. 2026
This year, the final was between Kerry, historically the sport’s most successful side, and Mayo, one of Ireland’s smaller counties by population and, in football terms, the most luckless.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Definition of luckless

Adjective

Number 10 hits back as a hapless Prime Minister plays his hand in the age of regime decapitation.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026
The clever premise provides the opportunity for plenty of high-octane action sequences, including fistfights, shootouts, explosions and car chases, with the hapless Ben providing comic relief from Hank’s Terminator-like indestructibility.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of hapless

Adjective

The disastrous late-August flash flooding near Phantom Ranch struck below the burn scar left by that blaze, the National Weather Service said.

— Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
The bill for the disastrous Leonard era now includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — the reigning, two-time MVP — 10 first-round picks and two additional pick swaps.

— Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of disastrous

Browse Nearby Words

hard-line

hard-luck

hardly

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“Hard-luck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-luck. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hard-luck

adjective

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