as in tragedy
bad luck or an example of this
through sheer misfortune our car got a flat tire and we were late for the ceremony our misfortunes of the last year included the loss of a beloved pet
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Recent Examples of misfortune
But a staggering series of misfortunes – an arsonist destroyed her rental house; the private equity firm that owned the house still demanded two months’ rent and kept her security deposit; she was diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer – forced her into tenuous housing situations.
—
John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
For the more superstitious among us, Friday the 13th is a day that means bad luck and misfortune.
—Annie Harrigan, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2026
That’s the idea that men who date women in the Kardashian family often face personal or professional misfortune.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
How does falling victim to one of the most notoriously unlikely of all misfortunes reorient your sense of chance, of fate?
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misfortune
John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
For the more superstitious among us, Friday the 13th is a day that means bad luck and misfortune.
—Annie Harrigan, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2026
That’s the idea that men who date women in the Kardashian family often face personal or professional misfortune.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
How does falling victim to one of the most notoriously unlikely of all misfortunes reorient your sense of chance, of fate?
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misfortune
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfortune
Noun
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North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme, who sometimes served as a mentor and listening board for Metayer Bowen, was equally saddened by the tragedy.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Despite the Reina Sofía’s many refusals to lend the work to various institutions around the world, its rebuff of the Guggenheim’s request carries a particular sting because the Basque Country has long held that the painting belongs in the place where the depicted tragedy occurred.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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To date, the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation has raised more than $610,000, providing grants, scholarships, and financial support to more than 230 local food and beverage professionals during times of hardship.—
Lauren Crawford,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Those who qualify for a hardship deferment include people receiving certain types of federal or state aid and anyone volunteering in the Peace Corps, Kantrowitz said.—
Kamaron McNair,Annie Nova,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The transition from agricultural employment to factory employment involved wrenching mass migration, the utter misery of the Great Depression (as well as other brutal recessions, now faded from collective memory), and the painful dealmaking of the New Deal.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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In contrast, his wife, Chandravati, is selfish as a daughter-in-law and disrespects Swasthani, leading to enormous misery for her.—
Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misfortune.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfortune. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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