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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Recent Examples of unlucky
Melton won’t be there, an unlucky loser.
—
Lars Brandle, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
That was unlucky, but the circumstances which caused the shooting opportunity were entirely of their own making.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
The dukedom of York also carries a dark history, prompting speculation that the title itself may be unlucky, Vanity Fair reported.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Black cats, unlucky numbers, and breaking a mirror mean seven years of bad luck.
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Lars Brandle, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
That was unlucky, but the circumstances which caused the shooting opportunity were entirely of their own making.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
The dukedom of York also carries a dark history, prompting speculation that the title itself may be unlucky, Vanity Fair reported.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Black cats, unlucky numbers, and breaking a mirror mean seven years of bad luck.
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlucky
Adjective
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Thus a wonderful section on The Jew of Malta climaxes in an unfortunate vision of the text as a secret message to Lord Strange, a wealthy and important patron of the arts.—
Isaac Butler,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Such an event, let alone two within less than an hour of each other, is both unfortunate and potentially very suspicious.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The tragic death of the Sepulveda family patriarch calls his descendants back to Villa Sepulveda, a Spanish colonial manor in a coconut plantation; but a landslide traps the guests inside, transforming the funeral plans into a supernatural reckoning of sins.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Lyles trails in funding for mayoral race Donovan’s campaign seemingly got a big financial boost after the tragic death of Iryna Zarutska on the Blue Line hit national headlines in early September.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Pauline Collins, the exuberant British actress who inspired women — and men, too — to do something to change their unhappy lives with her Oscar-nominated and Olivier- and Tony-winning performances in Shirley Valentine, has died.—
Lisa de los Reyes,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
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That distaste didn’t hurt Spanberger and her ticket, because 18% of those unhappy voters backed her anyway.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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 9 Nov. 2025.
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