un·for·tu·nate
ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət,
-ˈfȯr-chə-
1
a
: not favored by fortune : unsuccessful, unlucky
an unfortunate young man
b
: marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune
an unfortunate decision
2
a
: infelicitous, unsuitable
an unfortunate choice of words
b
: deplorable, regrettable
an unfortunate lack of taste
: an unfortunate person
Examples of unfortunate in a Sentence
Adjective
She was unfortunate enough to have been chosen as an example.
an unfortunate chain of events
It's unfortunate that he couldn't be here for your birthday.
He has an unfortunate tendency to show up late.
an unfortunate choice of words
Noun
a group of poor unfortunates
Recent Examples on the Web
Zoya Hasan, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
There is an unfortunate flipside, though: Bond Could Receive Questionable Franchise Extensions
That’s been the fear since Amazon acquired MGM in 2020.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 21 Feb. 2025
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024
The two unfortunates who’ve been cast as his keepers are his husband, Martin (Ben Whishaw), and Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos), with whom Tomas strikes up a romance.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
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Adjective
But over the last few weeks, bagel eaters around the city have been confronted with some unfortunate news: Signs are plastered across shop counters stating a $1.25 additional surcharge for any bagel sandwiches featuring eggs.
—Zoya Hasan, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
There is an unfortunate flipside, though: Bond Could Receive Questionable Franchise Extensions
That’s been the fear since Amazon acquired MGM in 2020.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
One of those unfortunates is the movie’s protagonist, Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre), a young Black man who is cycling into town, a knapsack on his back, in order to put up bail for a cousin.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024
The two unfortunates who’ve been cast as his keepers are his husband, Martin (Ben Whishaw), and Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos), with whom Tomas strikes up a romance.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfortunate. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unfortunate
1 of 2 adjective
un·for·tu·nate
ˌən-ˈfȯrch-(ə-)nət
1
a
: not fortunate : unlucky
b
: showing, accompanied by, or resulting in misfortune
an unfortunate experience
unfortunate investments
2
a
: unsuitable, infelicitous
an unfortunate choice of words
b
: deplorable sense 1
an unfortunate lack of taste
unfortunately
adverb
unfortunate
2 of 2 noun
: an unfortunate person
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