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
This superstition deepened over time, particularly after the mass arrest of the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13th, 1307, further cementing the day’s unlucky status.
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Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 13 June 2025
In truth Flamengo was unlucky to meet an elite side like Bayern at this point, especially after beating Chelsea to top of the group, but that proved the luck of the draw.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Juan Fuentes Signed: Free agent, February 2018 Left: Free agent, July 2018
Has there been a more unlucky player to have signed for Forest?
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Then the diamond from the ring was lost — and later amazingly found — on Friday the 13th, considered by those superstitious to be an unlucky day.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 13 June 2025
In truth Flamengo was unlucky to meet an elite side like Bayern at this point, especially after beating Chelsea to top of the group, but that proved the luck of the draw.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Juan Fuentes Signed: Free agent, February 2018 Left: Free agent, July 2018
Has there been a more unlucky player to have signed for Forest?
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Then the diamond from the ring was lost — and later amazingly found — on Friday the 13th, considered by those superstitious to be an unlucky day.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlucky
Adjective
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Instead, like so many unfortunate accidents since cell phones were invented, this was caused by a distracted driver.—
Anne Marie D. Lee,
CBS News,
14 July 2025
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Fortunately for him, that gaffe will be a little easier to live down than Teal and Weinberg’s unfortunate comments.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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As images continue to emerge, USA TODAY is asking anyone willing to share photos or video of the tragic aftermath to submit them here.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
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What remains, then, is a growing list of tragic lessons.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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That's become a new line of attack for the Trump administration, which is already unhappy with the Fed for not moving more aggressively to lower interest rates.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
14 July 2025
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Speculation is that Ferrari is unhappy with Vasseur's performance, although these rumors have been shut down by Vasseur, Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unlucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlucky. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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