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
However, injuries became an unfortunate reality for deGrom, who pitched just 15 games in 2021 with the Mets after dealing with forearm tightness and elbow inflammation.
—
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Waldrop, however, dismissed the allegations, characterizing the claims as inaccurate and an unfortunate byproduct of being in the construction business.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Aug. 2025
While Revel's recent update is unfortunate, the Cowboys are playing the long game.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
Both sides are trying to duck responsibility for age verification, which is unfortunate but not surprising.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Waldrop, however, dismissed the allegations, characterizing the claims as inaccurate and an unfortunate byproduct of being in the construction business.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Aug. 2025
While Revel's recent update is unfortunate, the Cowboys are playing the long game.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
Both sides are trying to duck responsibility for age verification, which is unfortunate but not surprising.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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Spiers: Manchester City had a disastrous 2024-25 season and still only finished 13 points behind Liverpool.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
11 Aug. 2025
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As for other imports, Doval allowed three runs and took the loss in his debut to start the disastrous weekend.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As with almost any change, some residents were unhappy, mostly about being told to slow down.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
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President Donald Trump was unhappy with July’s U.S. jobs report, which showed hiring slowing (with 73,000 jobs added, compared to 100,000 predicted) and revised past months’ numbers.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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It’s called the Turquoise Alert System and stems from the tragic disappearance and death of 14-year-old Emily Pike of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
jsonline.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Following the tragic death of her beloved husband Bobby (Peter Krause), Athena Grant (Angela Bassett) will likely be leaning more on her family, including her two children, May and Harry.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Miami police are investigating a fatal shooting Wednesday night that left one man dead.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
7 Aug. 2025
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The same unit has experienced several tragedies, including the fatal shooting less than three years ago of an Army sergeant killed by a 28-year-old soldier in the brigade’s building complex, according to officials.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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By August, those numbers had shifted to 33 percent favorable and 65 percent unfavorable.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
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Unlike in the United States, statistical agency commissioners in these countries cannot be fired simply for producing unfavorable economic data.—
Brent Dykes,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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