ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
an unfortunate chain of events destroyed the business
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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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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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Examples of unfortunate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hurricane Milton death toll mounts as the destruction is laid bare
An unfortunate reality victims could face while contending with property damage, insurance claims and disaster relief funds: scammers moving in as the massive storm moves out.
—
Amanda Musa, CNN, 12 Oct. 2024
CrowdStrike can work back to those levels over time since very little business and customer trust were lost from that unfortunate event in July.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2024
That was unfortunate for me because I was born in a time when there were no services to accommodate my differences.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2024
The only unfortunate thing is that the three-month exhibition will end Monday (October 7).
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unfortunate 
Amanda Musa, CNN, 12 Oct. 2024
CrowdStrike can work back to those levels over time since very little business and customer trust were lost from that unfortunate event in July.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2024
That was unfortunate for me because I was born in a time when there were no services to accommodate my differences.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2024
The only unfortunate thing is that the three-month exhibition will end Monday (October 7).
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unfortunate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unfortunate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
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