Synonyms of unfortunate

unfortunate

adjective

ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət

1

as in disastrous

bringing about ruin or misfortune

an unfortunate chain of events destroyed the business

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disastrous
• fatal
• catastrophic
• destructive
• damning
• calamitous
• fateful
• ruinous
• adverse
• apocalyptic
• detrimental
• hapless
• damaging
• luckless
• cataclysmal
• harmful
• injurious
• pernicious
• deleterious
• prejudicial
• baneful
• hurtful
• ill-fated
• evil
• ill-starred
• noxious
• ill
• baleful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fortunate
• happy
• lucky
• fortuitous
• providential
• fair
• promising
• hopeful
• optimistic
• encouraging
• fluky
• golden
• bright
• auspicious
• propitious
• heartening
• rosy
• upbeat
• rose-colored

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

• unhappy
• disastrous
• catastrophic
• unlucky
• unfavorable
• hapless
• luckless
• tragic
• adverse
• hard-luck
• doomed
• ill-fated
• ill-starred
• jinxed
• inauspicious
• star-crossed
• snakebit
• damned
• calamitous
• unpromising
• ill
• untoward
• accursed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fortunate
• happy
• lucky
• privileged
• favorable
• gifted
• fair
• favored
• promising
• golden
• blessed
• auspicious
• propitious

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

• tragic
• terrible
• regrettable
• lamentable
• horrible
• unlucky
• deplorable
• shocking
• distressing
• disturbing
• sad
• grievous
• painful
• woeful
• awful
• unsettling
• dire
• distressful
• disastrous
• sickening
• heartbreaking
• dreadful
• troublesome
• pitiful
• miserable
• severe
• fearful
• unbearable
• traumatic
• heartrending
• vexatious
• wretched
• alarming
• poignant
• horrifying
• overwhelming
• piteous
• crushing
• doleful
• intolerable
• moving
• affecting
• touching
• excruciating
• harrowing
• calamitous
• perturbing
• ruthful
• sharp
• raging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gratifying
• rewarding
• satisfying
• pleasing
• encouraging
• heartening
• comforting
• fortunate
• inspiring
• lucky
• happy
• heartwarming
• cheering

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unfortunate

The 19-year-old played, and scored, from that position against MK Dons, but his last game for Arsenal before an unfortunate loan spell at Marseille came away to Portsmouth in the FA Cup in January. — Art De Roché, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

The union reviewed film of the incident which is being categorized as an unfortunate injury. — Charlotte Observer, 29 July 2026

What makes this all the more unfortunate is that most of these excited personal asides come right under his listing of the figures for infections and deaths. — Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026

The attempt by former HFPA members to leverage the Golden Globe Foundation, an independent nonprofit, simply to secure Golden Globes tickets is an unfortunate distraction that inappropriately diverts resources from legitimate charitable causes. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 28 July 2026