as in unfortunate
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
the ill-fated trip ended in disaster for all
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Recent Examples of ill-fated
What the Pentagon Papers revealed is that the American government had reason to know all along that the venture was ill-fated.
—
Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
The series, which retells the story of the glamorous and ill-fated relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, finally reached the couple’s infamous public fight (which some sources report was at Washington Square Park or Central Park, and the show set at Battery Park).
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 6 Mar. 2026
The series then retreats to 2019 to trace the circumstances that led to these killings, building toward the inevitability of Maggie and Paul’s death and filtering the whole family through a lens of catastrophe, where every member is either ill-fated or devious.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Jeffrey, a divorced former Army Ranger, embarks on a sudden and inevitably ill-fated life of crime to help provide for his kids.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
That plan proved ill-fated, however, when he got caught trying to bribe a city official.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 30 July 2025
Before his turn as the sweet but ill-fated Wallace, Michael B. Jordan's few credits included a minor role in the 2001 Keanu Reeves film Hardball.
—Derek Lawrence, EW.com, 29 July 2025
The move to LoHi ended up being ill-fated, according to Nuñez, because the restaurant lost its identity.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 28 May 2025
Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
The series, which retells the story of the glamorous and ill-fated relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, finally reached the couple’s infamous public fight (which some sources report was at Washington Square Park or Central Park, and the show set at Battery Park).
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 6 Mar. 2026
The series then retreats to 2019 to trace the circumstances that led to these killings, building toward the inevitability of Maggie and Paul’s death and filtering the whole family through a lens of catastrophe, where every member is either ill-fated or devious.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Jeffrey, a divorced former Army Ranger, embarks on a sudden and inevitably ill-fated life of crime to help provide for his kids.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
That plan proved ill-fated, however, when he got caught trying to bribe a city official.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 30 July 2025
Before his turn as the sweet but ill-fated Wallace, Michael B. Jordan's few credits included a minor role in the 2001 Keanu Reeves film Hardball.
—Derek Lawrence, EW.com, 29 July 2025
The move to LoHi ended up being ill-fated, according to Nuñez, because the restaurant lost its identity.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 28 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-fated
Adjective
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Mikey never ended up doing anything beyond flirting, but his unfortunate turn of phrase was all Sydney needed to begin exploring her options in the villa.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The Charlotte Hornets received an unfortunate reminder Friday night in their last home game of the regular season.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fast-forward to the April 7 special election brought to a ballot by residents unhappy with the changes.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
One of them, Amy, a blond child with limp ponytails and a thin dress that looks like it might have been stained, stands outside a porch door, her fists balled up, mouth open, angry or unhappy or both.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Many similar blunders have been recorded in years past, including arguably the worst example, a disastrous decision three decades ago to overhaul how electricity was produced, distributed and priced.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
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This is disastrous and very concerning for the future of San Diego, which is going to lose jobs at an unparalleled pace given the presence of artificial intelligence.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But even without three rotation players, the Heat made quick work of the hapless Wizards, opening a 34-23 lead after a quarter and a 72-52 lead at the half.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
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Almost all of the show’s original stars have returned, including Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, Jane Kaczmarek as his mom Lois, and Bryan Cranston as Malcolm’s hapless dad Hal.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Vasyanovych plays Roman, a luckless director who’s out of work and trying to shoot his latest film in a country whose dwindling population is still traumatized by the war.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ill-fated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-fated. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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