unfortunate

adjective

ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət
Definition of unfortunatenext
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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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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unfortunate Columbia University calls offensive dining sign an 'unfortunate mistake' after backlash. — FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 To have measles spreading so aggressively again now, a quarter century after this momentous occasion, is not some unfortunate but unavoidable expression of nature, like an earthquake. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 Over the summer, a series of unfortunate events impacted the business. — Veronica Ortega, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 The flick follows an elder antique trader who dredges up a 500-year-old artifact that invigorates him with youth but has the unfortunate side effect of turning him into a vampire. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
  1. disastrous
  2. unhappy
  3. tragic
  4. fatal
  5. catastrophic
Adjective
  • In part, this is a story about the short-term desperation of Republicans in the face of midterms that seem set to be disastrous.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Formed in the aftermath of a disastrous mountain war with China in 1962, the ITBP operates in some of the most inhospitable terrain on Earth.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • Its success made Cohn a rich, if unhappy, man, at least for a long while.
    — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
  • What appeared to be a fairly normal election for a president halfway through his term — a probable setback, as unhappy voters register their discontent — has the potential, Cook said, to turn into a disaster for Republicans.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • Her tragic death caused an outcry among local residents and inspired many improvements to the neighborhood.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Recounting the disappearance of his sister Jade 20 years earlier, this text threatens to expose the lies, secrets and rifts within a group of friends bound forever by tragic events.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of tragic
Adjective
  • Independent media outlets like Baikal People reported that the fatal chain of events began on September 25.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Chicago Alderman Michelle Harris said at Sunday's community vigil that the suspect had allegedly gotten into an altercation with staff at a wireless store in the Chatham neighborhood just before the fatal stabbing, WLS reported.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • Writers in ancient Mesopotamia told several versions of a story in which the gods send a catastrophic flood but warn one man, who then builds a large boat to save his family and animals.
    — Eric Vanden Eykel, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The film stars Cruise as an aging oil tycoon whose drilling operations trigger a catastrophic climate change disaster.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of catastrophic

Browse Nearby Words

unforthcoming
unfortunate
unfortunately
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Cite this Entry

“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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