misadventure

noun

mis·​ad·​ven·​ture ˌmi-səd-ˈven-chər How to pronounce misadventure (audio)

Examples of misadventure in a Sentence

His vacation turned into a series of misadventures. a string of financial misadventures eventually left him broke
Recent Examples on the Web This was around the same period that AT&T, still smarting from misadventures like the EO Personal Communicator, spun off Bell Labs as Lucent Technologies. IEEE Spectrum, 2 Apr. 2024 His latest novel follows the misadventures of a runaway named Jim and his young companion Huckleberry in the antebellum American South. Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024 Charles’ death in the sequel did not necessarily rule out his participation in the sequel, as the film follows the Maitlands’ misadventures of the afterlife. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2024 However, instead of confronting Chris, Diarra finds herself on a hilariously chaotic misadventure involving an infamous 1995 case of a missing young boy. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024 And Jones delivers plenty of thrills as our heroes cover 435 miles in five-plus days, peaking in a zip-line misadventure packed with white-knuckle antics and tension-cutting quips. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Carol Burnett reminisced about her misadventures in late-night television during the legendary comedian’s visit Tuesday to The Late Show. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2024 In some new, yet more warped form, the Islamist threat is back, seeking to inflict pain on Russia for its misadventures and brutality in the Middle East. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024 Intoxicated by one another (and some illicit substances), their steamy relationship sets off a cascade of misadventures involving Lou’s criminal relatives (Ed Harris and Dave Franco). Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misadventure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mesaventure, from Anglo-French, from mesavenir to turn out badly, from mes- mis- + avenir to happen, from Latin advenire — more at adventure

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misadventure was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near misadventure

Cite this Entry

“Misadventure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misadventure. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

misadventure

noun
mis·​ad·​ven·​ture ˌmis-əd-ˈven-chər How to pronounce misadventure (audio)

Legal Definition

misadventure

noun
mis·​ad·​ven·​ture ˌmi-səd-ˈven-chər How to pronounce misadventure (audio)
: an accident that causes serious injury or death to a person and that does not involve negligence, wrongful purpose, or unlawful conduct

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