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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Incensed, Oseguera plotted revenge in 2009 and 2010 with others who were unhappy with Milenio’s new leadership and spearheaded a deadly coup.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026 -
Last summer, the city also confirmed that since Crow Tow took over vehicle releases from the Police Department, no appeals hearings had been held for anyone unhappy with impounding or the prices the company charges.—
Lee Rood,
Des Moines Register,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The bizarre, unfortunate name mix-up was revealed in its full extent this week at the trial of Colin Gray, the father of the school shooter, on charges of murder and manslaughter.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
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Coach Erik Spoelstra said Powell was deemed fit to play ahead of the game, with the speed of 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey creating an unfortunate reaction.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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After a disastrous White House meeting a year ago, Zelenskyy has adopted a more practical negotiating stance, emphasizing Ukraine’s goodwill.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Feb. 2026
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Just five months later, Kipnuk was among several villages hit by disastrous storm surge and flooding when Typhoon Halong battered the remote Alaskan coast in October 2025.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
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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The result has been a bloodbath in the state of Sinaloa, with thousands killed, thousands more missing and the violence reaching such heights that the Mexican government looks hopeless, if not hapless.—
Daniel DePetris,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
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And, of course, the hapless American consumer, who’s been paying at least a substantial chunk of these tariffs in the form of higher prices for goods, is the big loser.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 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 2 Mar. 2026.
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