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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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
Maybe Earth gets unlucky and experiences multiple, simultaneous LIP events (though this grows less likely over time, Kane said, as the mantle cools and its churning slows).
—
Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Likewise, Newcastle United beat PSG 4-1 at St James’ Park during the 2023-2024 campaign and were unlucky to be drawn against tough opponents that year in PSG, Milan and Borussia Dortmund.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The unlucky fourth one was a heck of a trophy with 56-inch main beams.
—Jack Atcheson Sr. As Told To Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 11 Sep. 2025
Nigerian Imuran Rofiat was unlucky not to level the scores when her left-wing cross hit the inside of the Arsenal goalpost.
—Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Likewise, Newcastle United beat PSG 4-1 at St James’ Park during the 2023-2024 campaign and were unlucky to be drawn against tough opponents that year in PSG, Milan and Borussia Dortmund.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The unlucky fourth one was a heck of a trophy with 56-inch main beams.
—Jack Atcheson Sr. As Told To Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 11 Sep. 2025
Nigerian Imuran Rofiat was unlucky not to level the scores when her left-wing cross hit the inside of the Arsenal goalpost.
—Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlucky
Adjective
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Plus, Vince’s on-screen demise serves an unfortunate reminder of the realities of real-life firefighting.—
Claire Franken,
TVLine,
23 Sep. 2025
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The Ravens move on to Week 4 with an unfortunate stat, having scored 111 points across three games.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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My heart goes out to the victims of the tragic shooting at Grand Blanc’s LDS church.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
Freep.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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In the aftermath of the Uvalde school shooting in May 2022, Nick explained how the tragic event hit even harder since becoming a father.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Roseanne Barr is unhappy that Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Sep. 2025
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There is a form of right-of-center liberalism that is content with status hierarchies, that is very unhappy with anything that makes people feel reprimanded.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unlucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlucky. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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