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

Since antiquity, people have believed that planting a mulberry tree in front of one’s house is unlucky. — Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026

After a decision is made, the library captures the outcome and distinguishes between whether the decision itself was sound and whether the outcome was simply lucky or unlucky. — Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Everyone wants their relationship to succeed — even those who may have been unlucky in that department might still harbor hope that things could change. — Sabrina Romanoff, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026

During a medieval siege, a trebuchet scored a chance hit on an unlucky defender. — ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026