mischance

noun

mis·​chance ˌmis-ˈchan(t)s 

1

: bad luck

2

: a piece of bad luck : mishap

Synonyms

• accident
• casualty
• mishap

Choose the Right Synonym for mischance

misfortune, mischance, adversity, mishap mean adverse fortune or an instance of this.

misfortune may apply to either the incident or conjunction of events that is the cause of an unhappy change of fortune or to the ensuing state of distress.

never lost hope even in the depths of misfortune

mischance applies especially to a situation involving no more than slight inconvenience or minor annoyance.

took the wrong road by mischance

adversity applies to a state of grave or persistent misfortune.

had never experienced great adversity

mishap applies to an often trivial instance of bad luck.

the usual mishaps of a family vacation

Examples of mischance in a Sentence

two enemies brought together by mischance

the smallest mischance could spell disaster for our plan

Recent Examples on the Web

Timothy Naftali, New York University historian But mischance and error plagued the U.S. effort to divert the missile crisis. —Glenn Garvin, miamiherald, 18 Oct. 2015

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mischaunce, from Anglo-French meschance, from mes- mis- + chance chance

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

mischance

noun

mis·​chance (ˈ)mis-ˈchan(t)s 

1

: bad luck that is not of a serious nature

2

: a piece of bad luck : mishap