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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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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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
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Cite this Entry
“Ill-starred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-starred. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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