ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
an unfortunate chain of events destroyed the business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unhappy
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
up to that point in her life she had been unfortunate in love
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
an unfortunate choice of words that would later prove to be embarrassing for the talk show host
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 unfortunate
All month long, USC faded in the most unfortunate moments, letting games get away from them.
—
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
This has the unfortunate consequence of making both Anna and Jack paper-thin caricatures of the ambitious reporter and small town cop.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
As much as people try to avoid it (and not contribute to it), the untimely animal deaths are an unfortunate, inevitable byproduct of a society reliant on cars.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 28 Jan. 2026
Anti-vaccine activists like to point to this unfortunate irony as proof that vaccination is the real villain.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
This has the unfortunate consequence of making both Anna and Jack paper-thin caricatures of the ambitious reporter and small town cop.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
As much as people try to avoid it (and not contribute to it), the untimely animal deaths are an unfortunate, inevitable byproduct of a society reliant on cars.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 28 Jan. 2026
Anti-vaccine activists like to point to this unfortunate irony as proof that vaccination is the real villain.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
-
Secretary Noem paused the diversity lottery to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The main issues on that offense were instability at offensive coordinator, as owner Woody Johnson forced him to fire Mike LaFleur after the 2022 season and replace him with the disastrous Nathaniel Hackett.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Domingo Morel, a professor at New York University who studies state takeovers of local schools, said most local residents wind up unhappy with the methods used by state interventionists and the results.—
Bri Hatch,
Chalkbeat,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Audrey, the single and childless and PhD-less product of a stable but unhappy home, has fallen short of the life planned out for her by her parents.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The fire department believes the tragic crash was an accident, not an intentional criminal act.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
-
At first, that seems at odds with Aleys’s tragic fate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Nanos previously said Nancy Guthrie did not leave the home by herself, pointing to her limited mobility and a health condition that could prove to be fatal if the necessary medication was not taken within 24 hours.—
Julia Bonavita , Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
For years, Malibu has been working to reduce road deaths on PCH, though the fatal incidents stretch beyond the city’s borders.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This sympathetic surge is caused by the release of noradrenaline, which, in the context of cancer, has catastrophic consequences.—
Jacek Krywko,
Scientific American,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Jerome Powell, the Fed’s current chair, made a choice to avert a catastrophic economic crash during the COVID-19 pandemic, accepting the risk of a bout of inflation.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
