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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unlucky
Hex marks the spot for sisters Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as unlucky-in-love witches.
—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
24 June 2026
So goes an unlucky fisherman’s joke.
—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
19 June 2026
As much as 20 inches of rain could fall in some unlucky areas.
—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
17 June 2026
Sue’s just the only one unlucky enough to have had to die for it.
—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
24 June 2026
So goes an unlucky fisherman’s joke.
—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
19 June 2026
As much as 20 inches of rain could fall in some unlucky areas.
—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
17 June 2026
Sue’s just the only one unlucky enough to have had to die for it.
—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlucky
Adjective
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As attendees were escorted out of the Great American State Fair on Sunday because of inclement weather, guests noticed an unfortunate typo displayed on a digital billboard at the National Mall.
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They should be trained not to ask a bunch of questions about the medical condition, express doubt, comment that the timing is unfortunate or share private information with co-workers.
Adjective
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Kara isn’t the only superhero with a tragic origin story – but unlike, say, that guy who dresses up as a bat and fights crime after the deaths of his mom and dad, Kara hits up a dive bar and plays with her dog to cope.
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Following the tragic incident, Aiden has been remembered for his kindness and intense drive.
Adjective
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The decade was an unhappy panorama of inflation, gas shortages, military humiliation, and revelations of political corruption.
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On Tuesday, Paul urged Americans who are unhappy with the justices’ ruling to support his proposal.
Adjective
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The one in which his tiny team of negotiators surrendered to the radicals ruling that luckless nation.
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Any one of those locations could have allowed the heat of reentry to burn through the aluminum alloy walls of the spacecraft, killing any luckless crew that may have been inside, in much the kind of reentry breakup that doomed the shuttle Columbia and its seven-person crew in 2003.
Cite this Entry
“Unlucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlucky. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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