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
Some prisoners were doubtless guilty of some offense; others were simply unlucky in birth or circumstance.
—
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
Garrard noted that Queen Alexandra, who considered opals unlucky, later replaced them with rubies.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 4 Dec. 2025
There is a lovely scene between Claire and her oldest daughter, Channing, who is so put together with her own family of two kids and an awkward husband, that most of her mom’s attention goes to the unlucky-in-love man-child son and her loved addicted sister.
—Katie Grant, Parents, 2 Dec. 2025
The Patriots are one of four unlucky teams with the NFL’s latest bye week.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
Garrard noted that Queen Alexandra, who considered opals unlucky, later replaced them with rubies.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 4 Dec. 2025
There is a lovely scene between Claire and her oldest daughter, Channing, who is so put together with her own family of two kids and an awkward husband, that most of her mom’s attention goes to the unlucky-in-love man-child son and her loved addicted sister.
—Katie Grant, Parents, 2 Dec. 2025
The Patriots are one of four unlucky teams with the NFL’s latest bye week.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlucky
Adjective
-
Their late concession of the winning penalty to Morgan Gibbs-White, above, was unfortunate.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Many unfortunate events were blamed on poison—the unexpected death of an enslaver or a slave, a spate of local deaths due to a virus or other disease, or problems on the plantation such as ill livestock or bad harvests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In his first interview since the tragic events in May, Cacique, a Spanish nickname given to a local boss, said the turncoats hoped to receive a reward for the capture of Robert Colina, whose alias was Pantera, Spanish for panther.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott joined the rest of his teammates in having a tough day Thursday after learning of the tragic death of defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland, who took his own life at the end of a police chase in Frisco.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
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 Jan. 2026.
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