ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
an unfortunate chain of events destroyed the business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unfortunate
Bass-baritone Isaiah Musik-Ayala debuts as the unfortunate Orgon, and the other roles are filled by Courtney Miller as Elmire, Melissa Sondhi as Mariane, Max Ary as Valere and Alix Jerinic as Madame Pernelle.
—
Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 19 June 2025
While a solid franchise debut from Mazur on the mound, minus an unfortunate bit of luck in the fourth inning, Miami just couldn’t respond at the plate, including some visible frustration that bubbled over in the bottom of the fourth.
—Kaitlyn Pohly, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025
Remi Wolf made the most of an unfortunate situation after this year’s Bonnaroo was canceled from Friday-Sunday (June 13-15) due to severe weather, hosting a joint concert in Nashville featuring Hayley Williams and more special guests.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 16 June 2025
An unfortunate series of events in the eighth inning led to the Brewers going up 3-1.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 19 June 2025
While a solid franchise debut from Mazur on the mound, minus an unfortunate bit of luck in the fourth inning, Miami just couldn’t respond at the plate, including some visible frustration that bubbled over in the bottom of the fourth.
—Kaitlyn Pohly, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025
Remi Wolf made the most of an unfortunate situation after this year’s Bonnaroo was canceled from Friday-Sunday (June 13-15) due to severe weather, hosting a joint concert in Nashville featuring Hayley Williams and more special guests.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 16 June 2025
An unfortunate series of events in the eighth inning led to the Brewers going up 3-1.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 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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The root of the fallout was the Who (and specifically Daltrey) being unhappy with Starkey’s performance when the band played a pair of Teenage Cancer Trust charity shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
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On Friday, Devers alluded to being unhappy with how the Red Sox treated him.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
20 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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This tragic event raises urgent questions: What caused such extreme weather?—
Bethany Wales,
Sacbee.com,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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And the mid-Atlantic recently saw its first fatal case of Heartland Virus.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
23 June 2025
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The United States has struck a crippling, but not fatal blow at Iran’s nuclear weapons aspirations.—
Brett Schaefer,
National Review,
23 June 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 3 Jul. 2025.
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