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
An unfortunate tragedy unfolded in New Jersey this past weekend.
—
Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 8 Sep. 2025
As most movie lovers know, checking in at the Bates proved unfortunate for Marion Crane, the character played by Janet Leigh in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece Psycho.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Anyone following the world of wheels - or bought a Blazer in the last two years - will know the Chevy Blazer EV had a series of unfortunate electronic glitches in 2024, so much so that it was even recalled until GM could do an overhaul.
—Josh Max, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Eating the brains of many unfortunate victims also brought Isaac back to his original form and age.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 8 Sep. 2025
As most movie lovers know, checking in at the Bates proved unfortunate for Marion Crane, the character played by Janet Leigh in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece Psycho.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Anyone following the world of wheels - or bought a Blazer in the last two years - will know the Chevy Blazer EV had a series of unfortunate electronic glitches in 2024, so much so that it was even recalled until GM could do an overhaul.
—Josh Max, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Eating the brains of many unfortunate victims also brought Isaac back to his original form and age.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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Schools’ failure to follow IEPs has resulted in disastrous cases of educational neglect for students like Makenley and Maddox O’Connor.—
IndyStar,
IndyStar,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The New York Jets sent that message to Rodgers following a disastrous two-year term.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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My research team works hard to keep the email addresses up to date, but executives keep changing their addresses to avoid having to deal with unhappy customers.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
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But few seemed to leave unhappy.—
Jonathan Hawkins,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This was a senseless and tragic loss.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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Nicknamed Lucky and Lucky II, two baby pterosaurs who came to a tragic end.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Video of the fatal attack showed Kirk speaking to a large crowd of people on the university campus as a shot rings out.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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Though Kirk's visit was controversial on campus, police were tracking no specific or credible threats before the fatal shooting, Utah law enforcement sources told ABC News.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Also, unfavorable factors are the extension price tag that can top tens of billions of dollars annually, and eligibility that includes those making 400% the poverty rate.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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Two years before the Rule was finalized in 1944, the Supreme Court made unfavorable (unpublished) comments about a draft proposal permitting the government to take pretrial depositions.—
Robert Anello,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Legislators should realize that a simple law meant to avert potential catastrophic risks seems like an existential risk to those who oppose it.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Fire is the most catastrophic event possible on a yacht, a plane, or a car.—
Rachel Ingram,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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