Synonyms of unlucky

unlucky

adjective

ˌən-ˈlə-kē 

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

• unfortunate
• unhappy
• luckless
• disastrous
• hapless
• catastrophic
• doomed
• hard-luck
• unfavorable
• jinxed
• adverse
• ill-starred
• ill-fated
• tragic
• star-crossed
• snakebit
• inauspicious
• damned
• unpromising
• ill
• calamitous
• accursed
• untoward

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lucky
• happy
• fortunate
• privileged
• gifted
• favored
• favorable
• fair
• promising
• golden
• blessed
• auspicious
• propitious

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• unfortunate
• tragic
• terrible
• regrettable
• horrible
• lamentable
• deplorable
• woeful
• shocking
• sad
• grievous
• distressing
• painful
• disturbing
• awful
• dire
• disastrous
• miserable
• distressful
• troublesome
• unsettling
• dreadful
• fearful
• severe
• pitiful
• heartbreaking
• sickening
• unbearable
• wretched
• vexatious
• traumatic
• crushing
• heartrending
• overwhelming
• piteous
• poignant
• moving
• alarming
• doleful
• horrifying
• affecting
• touching
• intolerable
• calamitous
• excruciating
• harrowing
• ruthful
• perturbing
• sharp
• raging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rewarding
• satisfying
• pleasing
• gratifying
• encouraging
• lucky
• comforting
• fortunate
• heartening
• happy
• inspiring
• cheering
• heartwarming

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unlucky

In the greatest misfortune of a very unlucky life, Fantine (Noémie Merlant) stops at the tavern the Thénardiers run on her way to Montreuil with her angelic daughter Cosette. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026

But its real-world effects are almost entirely heaped upon the unlucky individuals who briefly become the internet’s main character. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2026

As bears across Colorado scour trash for their next meal amid the state’s ongoing drought, one unlucky creature was scooped up by a Waste Management garbage truck south of Denver last week, according to a Castle Rock resident. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2026

Manning was 23-for-37 for only 195 yards with one touchdown and a comically unlucky interception. — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026