ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
an unfortunate chain of events destroyed the business
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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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unfortunate
In a season with only 11 musicals and otherwise bereft of serious scores, that was, to say the least, unfortunate.
—
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
That was unfortunate, because Monday’s Minnesota-San Antonio game that was relegated to Peacock and NBC-SN was far more entertaining than the Knicks-76ers blowout.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Dee Wooten of Germantown spotlighted the unfortunate situation in a six-minute-long Facebook post.
—Joe Holden, CBS News, 5 May 2026
He's helped by Piggy (David McKenna), the prototypical nerd with asthma and an unfortunate nickname, but one of the only boys thinking of the practicalities of their survival.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
That was unfortunate, because Monday’s Minnesota-San Antonio game that was relegated to Peacock and NBC-SN was far more entertaining than the Knicks-76ers blowout.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Dee Wooten of Germantown spotlighted the unfortunate situation in a six-minute-long Facebook post.
—Joe Holden, CBS News, 5 May 2026
He's helped by Piggy (David McKenna), the prototypical nerd with asthma and an unfortunate nickname, but one of the only boys thinking of the practicalities of their survival.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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Too much of it can be disastrous for the local ecosystems, leading to issues like algal blooms.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
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The Lakers coach couldn’t even sub fast enough before Ayton’s two-handed frustration shove of Oklahoma City guard Ajay Mitchell put a disappointing punctuation mark on a disastrous 19-second stretch for the Lakers starting center.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Adjective
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Wait times, and particularly in the emergency department, wait times were skyrocketing, patient satisfaction, and everybody was just generally unhappy.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
9 May 2026
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Sources have told Deadline that Fox was originally unhappy with the creative on Season 14 of the show, but collaborated with the creative team and was ultimately sated.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Bojorquez said Jones was a brave officer who had made a tragic mistake while rushing to the aid of victims.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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That’s especially true in the tragic murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Two Connecticut State Police troopers have been cleared in connection with a fatal shooting in Bozrah last August after the state Inspector General concluded that the armed woman who was shot was apparently trying to commit suicide by cop.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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The star died in 2009, at age 50, of cardiac arrest due to a fatal dose of propofol and other drugs.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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Artists and arts organizations have derided Gloria’s cuts, calling them a catastrophic blow to communities and the city’s culture.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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At its peak, some areas were moving more than a foot a week, causing catastrophic damage.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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