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
There are some unfortunate provisions to the EO, particularly its call to increase prescription drug importation.
—
Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Things took a darker turn when one unfortunate neighbor became a bird victim.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Locals, however, have also noticed the unfortunate side effects: rising prices and property values.
—Meehika Barua, HubSpot, 18 Apr. 2025
Ramsey financial fallout Among the unfortunate upshots of a likely trade involving Jalen Ramsey, who is looking to be dealt:
Miami will take a significant cap hit if he’s traded before June 1.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Things took a darker turn when one unfortunate neighbor became a bird victim.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Locals, however, have also noticed the unfortunate side effects: rising prices and property values.
—Meehika Barua, HubSpot, 18 Apr. 2025
Ramsey financial fallout Among the unfortunate upshots of a likely trade involving Jalen Ramsey, who is looking to be dealt:
Miami will take a significant cap hit if he’s traded before June 1.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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Democrats have been grappling with their own version of that resolution, especially ever since the disastrous defeat of their party’s presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, in November.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2025
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Or, even more recently, the disastrous April 8 update to protect against the CVE-2025-21204 vulnerability that installed a mysterious folder, and got everyone’s collective conspiracy theory panties in a bunch.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Particularly now that Americans are unhappy with the state of economy.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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Some 59% of voters are unhappy with how things are going in the country.—
Dana Blanton,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Boca Bash drowning The 2018 Boca Bash turned tragic when 32-year-old Francis Roselin, of West Palm Beach, drowned.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic incident.—
Phil Boucher,
People.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Across all suicide attempts not involving a firearm, only 4% result in death; but for firearm suicide, approximately 90% of attempts are fatal.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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That stretch proved to be fatal for the Heat, as the Cavaliers extended their lead to nine with 16.9 seconds to play and put the game away before Miami scored again following this rough late-game span.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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If this leads to an acquittal, and to unfavorable comparisons to O. J. Simpson’s lawyers, Steel is unlikely to care.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
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Further, parental reaction to the plan has also been unfavorable.—
Savanah Jackson,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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