ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
an unfortunate chain of events destroyed the business
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unfortunate
Not to belittle the trauma of anyone unfortunate enough to be aboard the Triumph, but this Trainwreck, premiering Tuesday, intentionally toes the line between tragedy and comedy.
—
Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
The New York Yankees have to be happy with how their pitching staff has responded to a series of unfortunate injuries.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
Meet Doe and Deer, two little ones who were found in an unfortunate place in an unfortunate way.
—Tj MacIas, Miami Herald, 23 June 2025
Shakira does appear to be the beneficiary of an unintended consequence stemming from her unfortunate moves.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
The New York Yankees have to be happy with how their pitching staff has responded to a series of unfortunate injuries.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
Meet Doe and Deer, two little ones who were found in an unfortunate place in an unfortunate way.
—Tj MacIas, Miami Herald, 23 June 2025
Shakira does appear to be the beneficiary of an unintended consequence stemming from her unfortunate moves.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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Skipping this governance checkpoint essentially means letting people create powerful and untested tools for decision making, which could be disastrous to an organization’s future success.—
Larry English,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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Trading away Jokic would be disastrous, and the thought of it is just as bad.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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This gives the creditor an additional target to pursue and make very unhappy which can indirectly put pressure on the debtor to pay the judgment.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Circulation increased and the publication won two Pulitzer Prizes, but the owner, conservative Harry Guggenheim, was unhappy with the paper’s shift to the left, and he and Moyers were divided over the Vietnam War and the 1968 presidential election.—
Carmel Dagan,
Variety,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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There's a tragic kind of symmetry in the way Carmen Berzatto, a guy who grew up in household devoid of nurturing, later devotes his life to caring for strangers.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
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The tragic consequences ultimately haunted Einstein for the rest of his life.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Most had gone to sleep by the time of the fatal brawl.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2025
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An attack in Boulder, Colorado, in June and the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C., in May, are two recent incidents of anti-Jewish violence that have rocked communities in the U.S. Advertisement Read More: The Rise of Antisemitism and Political Violence in the U.S.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Macroeconomic Vulnerability Broadcom’s stock has exhibited lower resilience during unfavorable market conditions compared to the overall market.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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The deal allegedly promised Netanyahu positive coverage in Mozes’ newspaper Yediot Ahronoth while the Israeli Prime Minister would consider legislation unfavorable to rival newspaper Israel Hayom.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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