as in unhappy
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
an ill-starred attempt to circumnavigate the earth in a balloon
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-starred
Adjective
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This is a no-win situation because one of us will end up unhappy.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026 -
The automaker spent much of the year undoing decisions made by the previous CEO, Carlos Tavares, who resigned at the end of 2024, as stakeholders in the company — from dealers to union rank and file — were upset with him and unhappy with his leadership.—
Liam Rappleye,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Their late concession of the winning penalty to Morgan Gibbs-White, above, was unfortunate.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Many unfortunate events were blamed on poison—the unexpected death of an enslaver or a slave, a spate of local deaths due to a virus or other disease, or problems on the plantation such as ill livestock or bad harvests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The spotlight increased after a disastrous interview with CBS to promote the legendary coach’s book.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Second goal breaks Charlotte’s back The second half opened with a disastrous sequence for Charlotte.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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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
Adjective
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England only played one warm-up match before the series, against an England Lions team, while McCullum’s attack-minded philosophy has also been questioned amid a number of hapless dismissals during the series.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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This competition reality show pits hapless home bakers against one another to complete two challenges per episode.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ill-starred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-starred. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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