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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The post got 22,000 views, including from unhappy folks living next to data centers, but no helpful information.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026 -
Against this backdrop, the unhappy Angine shops compulsively in a department store and develops a fascination with a playful salesgirl.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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One bad matchup, one bad shooting night, one unfortunate stretch of five minutes can define a season’s ending.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
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And there are a slew of new candidates for the blood cannon in Ready or Not 2, whose baddies are a more wide-ranging lot than the Le Domases, the game-company-owning clan that Grace (Samara Weaving) is unfortunate enough to marry into in the original Ready or Not.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Each hot run was countered by a disastrous stretch for seemingly everyone.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2026
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But two disastrous seasons followed that campaign, with the Hurricanes going a combined 22-41 in 2023-24 and 2024-25.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 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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Golden State was coming off a scrappy victory over hapless Washington, snapping a five-game losing streak.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
19 Mar. 2026
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So even if Willis and the defense flop this season, Miami still be positioned to land one of those QBs without going into this season trying to lose like, well, the hapless Washington Wizards.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 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 22 Mar. 2026.
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