misfortune

noun

mis·​for·​tune ˌmis-ˈfȯr-chən 

1

a

: an event or conjunction of events that causes an unfortunate or distressing result : bad luck

by misfortune he fell into bad company

had the misfortune to break his leg

b

: an unhappy situation

always ready to help people in misfortune

2

: a distressing or unfortunate incident or event

misfortunes never come singly

Synonyms

• adversity
• ill
• knock
• misadventure
• mischance
• mishap
• tragedy

Choose the Right Synonym for misfortune

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 misfortune in a Sentence

a victim of economic misfortune

She endured her misfortune without complaint.

It was my misfortune to be chosen first.

Her injury was a great misfortune.

He blamed the party's misfortunes on poor leadership.

Recent Examples on the Web

Unless Johnson shocks everyone and joins Pritzker et al. in telling CTU the truth, Chicago has the unprecedented misfortune of not even having a mayor representing taxpayer interests in this travesty. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025

Besides being unsightly, Hephaestus was lame and also had the misfortune of an unfaithful wife. —Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2025

Kentucky also had the misfortune of catching Alabama in what might be its most motivated point of the season. —Cj Moore, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025

Jeffrey Wright’s Henry, a gentler middle-management soul, has the misfortune of being longtime mentor to the subtly megalomaniacal Martian while suffering the everyday indignities of corporate life, including rats in his office. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

misfortune

noun

mis·​for·​tune (ˈ)mis-ˈfȯr-chən 

1

: bad luck especially for a long period of time

2

: an unfortunate condition or event : disaster