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
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
An unfortunate tragedy unfolded in New Jersey this past weekend.
—
Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 8 Sep. 2025
As most movie lovers know, checking in at the Bates proved unfortunate for Marion Crane, the character played by Janet Leigh in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece Psycho.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Anyone following the world of wheels - or bought a Blazer in the last two years - will know the Chevy Blazer EV had a series of unfortunate electronic glitches in 2024, so much so that it was even recalled until GM could do an overhaul.
—Josh Max, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Eating the brains of many unfortunate victims also brought Isaac back to his original form and age.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 8 Sep. 2025
As most movie lovers know, checking in at the Bates proved unfortunate for Marion Crane, the character played by Janet Leigh in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece Psycho.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Anyone following the world of wheels - or bought a Blazer in the last two years - will know the Chevy Blazer EV had a series of unfortunate electronic glitches in 2024, so much so that it was even recalled until GM could do an overhaul.
—Josh Max, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Eating the brains of many unfortunate victims also brought Isaac back to his original form and age.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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Schools’ failure to follow IEPs has resulted in disastrous cases of educational neglect for students like Makenley and Maddox O’Connor.—
IndyStar,
IndyStar,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The New York Jets sent that message to Rodgers following a disastrous two-year term.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Both Ways on Netflix The Lovebirds In the 2020 adventure comedy The Lovebirds, Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani play an unhappy couple on the brink of splitting up.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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But surveys have also shown many reservists are unhappy with the cabinet's plans, some openly accusing the government of lacking a cohesive strategy, a post-war plan for Gaza or a clear benchmark for victory.—
Emily Rose,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This was a senseless and tragic loss.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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Nicknamed Lucky and Lucky II, two baby pterosaurs who came to a tragic end.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Video of the fatal attack showed Kirk speaking to a large crowd of people on the university campus as a shot rings out.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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Though Kirk's visit was controversial on campus, police were tracking no specific or credible threats before the fatal shooting, Utah law enforcement sources told ABC News.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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According to a Pew Research Center survey, half of Americans hold an unfavorable opinion of the Supreme Court.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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The latest national polls from groups like Reuters/Ipsos, Civiqs, AP/NORC, Gallup and more have the president's overall approval rating marked as unfavorable once again.—
Joyce Orlando,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Legislators should realize that a simple law meant to avert potential catastrophic risks seems like an existential risk to those who oppose it.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Fire is the most catastrophic event possible on a yacht, a plane, or a car.—
Rachel Ingram,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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