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
The unlucky shakedown targets are the hotels and airport concessionaires that now will be required to pay a minimum hourly wage that ratchets up to $30, plus an $8.35 per hour health insurance payment, by July 2028.
—
Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
The unlucky losing pitcher for Canyon Hills (19-10) was senior Natalye Debus.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
In regards to last weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Bearman got unlucky because of an issue with his pit stop.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 21 May 2025
At the Qatar 2022 World Cup the team was unlucky to face the Netherlands and an in-form Senegal in the group stages but this sterling young squad has grown since then and will be aiming for the knock-out rounds next summer.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
The unlucky losing pitcher for Canyon Hills (19-10) was senior Natalye Debus.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
In regards to last weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Bearman got unlucky because of an issue with his pit stop.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 21 May 2025
At the Qatar 2022 World Cup the team was unlucky to face the Netherlands and an in-form Senegal in the group stages but this sterling young squad has grown since then and will be aiming for the knock-out rounds next summer.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlucky
Adjective
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Shakira does appear to be the beneficiary of an unintended consequence stemming from her unfortunate moves.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
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The stern instructor displays a remarkable amount of patience as the student bashes the unfortunate victim against every solid surface in sight — even alien beings capable of traversing the cosmos can have bad days at the office.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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There's a tragic kind of symmetry in the way Carmen Berzatto, a guy who grew up in household devoid of nurturing, later devotes his life to caring for strangers.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
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The tragic consequences ultimately haunted Einstein for the rest of his life.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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The root of the fallout was the Who (and specifically Daltrey) being unhappy with Starkey’s performance when the band played a pair of Teenage Cancer Trust charity shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
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On Friday, Devers alluded to being unhappy with how the Red Sox treated him.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unlucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlucky. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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