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
Both of his Melbourne shows at Margaret Court Arena were sold out, making the phone-throwing incident all the more unfortunate for the concertgoers who had come out for a memorable night of country music.
—
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Two rounds of unfortunate renovations have destroyed many of that building’s formal innovations.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
The interviews themselves are informative, but unobtrusive, and the while intimate footage of Frazier and Reynolds’ personal lives paints a slightly wider picture of their circumstances, their moods in the aftermath of their unfortunate digital breakthroughs is kept largely at an arm’s length.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
That is human nature; and now with conflict in the Middle East there will be companies that see this unfortunate development as yet another reason to jack up prices.
—Jerry Haar, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Two rounds of unfortunate renovations have destroyed many of that building’s formal innovations.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
The interviews themselves are informative, but unobtrusive, and the while intimate footage of Frazier and Reynolds’ personal lives paints a slightly wider picture of their circumstances, their moods in the aftermath of their unfortunate digital breakthroughs is kept largely at an arm’s length.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
That is human nature; and now with conflict in the Middle East there will be companies that see this unfortunate development as yet another reason to jack up prices.
—Jerry Haar, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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So had Florida not decided to tweak its offense to emphasize paint touches, dwindling the bricks its guards had regularly tossed through the first two disastrous months, this could have been a historic season.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
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Part of the rush to take up flags may be the disastrous economy in Britain.—
Simon Constable,
FOXNews.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But there are so many other parts of Nigeria, unhappy in their union, who would also want that privilege.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
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The matter then came before the Board of Supervisors, which was caught between a sea of unhappy constituents and the possibility of a costly legal battle if the plan was not approved.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The steady, unwavering empathy of her gaze encompasses a universe of tiny, interlaced incidents in which the zany entwines the plaintive, or the tragic the comic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
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We are so deeply shattered by this tragic and senseless loss.—
Tony Aiello,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The killing is Kansas City’s 27th homicide of 2026, which lines up exactly with the 27 homicides the city had seen at this time last year, according to data kept by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.—
Nathan Pilling
March 17,
Kansas City Star,
18 Mar. 2026
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Investigators argued the fatal poisoning was not the first attempt on Eric Richins’ life.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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After a catastrophic debris strike destroys their shuttle during a spacewalk, Sandra Bullock’s astronaut is left untethered, spinning silently against the vastness of space, while George Clooney’s veteran astronaut tries to guide her from a distance.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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Conversely, every era of catastrophic government failure—the late Roman Republic, the Thirty Years’ War, the collapse of Weimar Germany—witnessed a period in which elites decided that process was a mere suggestion and that their own judgment was sufficient cause to ignore it.—
Anthony Scaramucci,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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