as in unhappy
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
Romeo and Juliet are among literature's most famous star-crossed lovers
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Recent Examples of star-crossed
The legacy of nuclear propulsion is deep and star-crossed.
—
David W. Brown, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2026
The star-crossed extra twist, of course, was that only days after the national-title game the rules changed to allow the dunk again.
—Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
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
The sweeping romance set across three decades of passion, loss, and hope in Beirut stars Hassan Akil and Mounia Akl as Nino and Yasmina, star-crossed lovers bound by a magnetic relationship, one an eternal optimist and the other an impulsive pragmatist.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, star-crossed lovers Ellen (Harriet Slater) and Brian (Jamie Roy) managed to plot an escape of their own — but not before getting some major blood on their hands.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
David W. Brown, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2026
The star-crossed extra twist, of course, was that only days after the national-title game the rules changed to allow the dunk again.
—Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
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
The sweeping romance set across three decades of passion, loss, and hope in Beirut stars Hassan Akil and Mounia Akl as Nino and Yasmina, star-crossed lovers bound by a magnetic relationship, one an eternal optimist and the other an impulsive pragmatist.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, star-crossed lovers Ellen (Harriet Slater) and Brian (Jamie Roy) managed to plot an escape of their own — but not before getting some major blood on their hands.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for star-crossed
Adjective
-
As society gal Rose DeWitt Bukater, Melissa Barrera has freewheeling fun with Kate Winslett’s unhappy bride-to-be character.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
-
People on my block were unhappy, and block association president was unhappy.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Sure, after the Epstein scandal and that disastrous interview, Andrew was forced to step down as working royal.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
12 Apr. 2026
-
McIlroy led by six strokes after 36 holes but entered Sunday tied for first after a disastrous third round.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Alex Wang was the hard-luck loser for Cistercian (3-13, 0-6) going 7 innings scattering 3 hits with an unearned run, 2 strikeouts and one walk.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Every small room sans closet in New York City requires a stand-alone alternative for surviving a hard-luck storage situation, and even ample hallways can benefit from a dignified wardrobe cabinet as a way to punctuate large spaces.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
After a crash course in evangelical social media strategy and a hefty investment from her father-in-law, determined Natalie turns their doomed ranch — Caleb can’t stop killing cows — into a successful facsimile of the perfect life.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
None of this, of course, is to excuse what Kyle said to Amanda, but an attempt to explain his psychology and illustrate how relationships on these shows are more doomed than Katy Perry’s pop career.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Star-crossed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/star-crossed. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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