star-crossed

adjective

ˈstär-ˌkrȯst How to pronounce star-crossed (audio)
Definition of star-crossednext
as in unhappy
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck Romeo and Juliet are among literature's most famous star-crossed lovers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of star-crossed The best bet is that SpaceX proves a scientific triumph, and star-crossed as an stock. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2026 Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie lead the series as the star-crossed, puck-smashing Shane Hollander and Ilya Rosanov. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026 Yes, Netflix's Regency-era romance drama (Season 4 Part 1 now streaming) has returned for a new year of lustful glances, hopelessly star-crossed lovers and absolutely absurd balls for a fourth go-round, this time with a story all about the second Bridgerton son, Benedict (Luke Thompson). — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026 The Vikings have begun a new year with yet another quarterback quandary, a familiar scenario for this star-crossed franchise. — CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for star-crossed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for star-crossed
  1. unhappy
  2. unfortunate
  3. luckless
  4. disastrous
  5. hapless
  6. hard-luck
  7. doomed
Adjective
  • Premiering in 2004 on Fox, The Swan cast women who self-reported as unhappy about their appearances in a grueling competition to see who could pull off the most profound physical transformation.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026
  • More Florida customers dissatisfied Count Brandon Reich among Florida’s unhappy property insurance customers.
    — Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • These unfortunate souls were supposed to stay in their birthplace, hoping church charity would sustain them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Artistic but flighty, Deborah ends up at her parents’ alma mater when an unfortunate incident gets her NYU Tisch School of the Arts acceptance rescinded.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • During these walking meditations my notebook starts to feel suspiciously similar to the luckless young climber’s selfie camera.
    — Brian Laidlaw, Longreads, 1 Sep. 2026
  • This year, the final was between Kerry, historically the sport’s most successful side, and Mayo, one of Ireland’s smaller counties by population and, in football terms, the most luckless.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of luckless
Adjective
  • Still, by the time the meeting ended, aldermen had agreed the new terms made the disastrous 2008 privatization of the city’s once-public system a little bit better.
    — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Undeterred, the press has continued to publish damning reports about his chaotic management of the Pentagon at home and the US military’s disastrous conduct overseas.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • The destination of our hapless hero, a courier (Austin Abrams, absolutely awesome) who must transport an important package between medical facilities, is indeed the game’s residentially evil homebase of Racoon City.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Neither will the hapless farmer’s mane, soon rendering him a yeti-like village pariah.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of hapless
Adjective
  • And, of course, there won’t be many people who want to defend someone in that position — or, indeed, listen to any hard-luck stories — now the details have been outlined in court about his motorway rampage.
    — Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • After Yankees relievers got the Twins to ground into inning-ending double plays in the 9th, 10th and 12th innings, John Schreiber (2-4) took the hard-luck loss.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of hard-luck
Adjective
  • Joe and Nathan’s doomed bromance started off tense, got better over time, and worsened again once Joe found another bro to romance with.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Navatek Method Before Kao’s doomed reign as CEO, Navatek was a sleepy Hawaiian engineering company with a few dozen employees.
    — William Turton, ProPublica, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of doomed

Browse Nearby Words

starchy
star-crossed
stardom
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Cite this Entry

“Star-crossed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/star-crossed. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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