1
as in unfortunate
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
the unlucky campers had rain all week I'm so unlucky I don't bother to play the lottery an unlucky throw of the dice
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
the settlers made the unlucky decision to cross the dangerous mountain pass in the middle of winter
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Recent Examples of unlucky
Ola Aina was unlucky to see a spectacular dipping effort bounce back off the bar.
—
Paul Taylor, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The location and strength of opponent, particularly defensively, makes KU mostly unlucky here.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026
First, Enrico Delprato turned a Che Adams shot into his own net in the 55th minute and two minutes later Mandela Keita was unlucky when a Simeone shot came off the bar, hit him almost on the goalline and bounced into the net.
—ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026
Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Paul Taylor, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The location and strength of opponent, particularly defensively, makes KU mostly unlucky here.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026
First, Enrico Delprato turned a Che Adams shot into his own net in the 55th minute and two minutes later Mandela Keita was unlucky when a Simeone shot came off the bar, hit him almost on the goalline and bounced into the net.
—ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026
Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlucky
Adjective
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That house has a history of unfortunate events, including the fate of Cookie, an errant heiress and her pooch.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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The start of 2026 has been a series of unfortunate events for Michelle Harris and her family.—
Monique John,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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OpenAI is battling more than a dozen different death and harm suits, including one centered on a tragic murder-suicide allegedly spurred by ChatGPT reinforcing an unstable man’s paranoid delusions.—
Maggie Harrison Dupré,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
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The major hubs are bad in all the predictable ways, but America’s smaller airports are each cursed and tragic in their own exquisite style.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The 28-year-old receiver is reportedly unhappy with his situation in Philadelphia, despite winning a Super Bowl a little over a year ago.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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But there may be an answer, or at least a compromise that will satisfy those unhappy with the idea of destroying a usable building.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Vasyanovych plays Roman, a luckless director who’s out of work and trying to shoot his latest film in a country whose dwindling population is still traumatized by the war.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unlucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlucky. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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