as in unfortunate
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
Romeo and Juliet are among literature's most famous star-crossed lovers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of star-crossed
So ends one of the most controversial and star-crossed investigations in history.
—
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 11 Jan. 2025
Flashback: Boeing's Starliner was star-crossed even before the inaugural crewed mission earlier this year.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 30 Sep. 2024
Few Olympic teams in any sport have had to rebound more times or overcome adversity more often than the U.S. women’s water polo team, the most successful in the world in the pool and the most star-crossed outside it.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024
She’s swung so far in the opposite direction from the theatricality of star-crossed and the synth-y jams of Golden Hour that these songs barely even have drums.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 15 Mar. 2024
The attraction between the star-crossed, cross-cultural couple is electric and propulsive, lasting for years with unmitigated intensity.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024
That’s a career best for the U.S. country artist, and third top 10 appearance following 2018’s Golden Hour (No. 6) and 2021’s star-crossed (No. 10).
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2024
Throughout 2020 and into 2021, the production seemed increasingly star-crossed.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 12 Jan. 2024
From the beginning, then, El Señor Presidente has been star-crossed.
—Larry Rohter, The New York Review of Books, 4 May 2023
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 11 Jan. 2025
Flashback: Boeing's Starliner was star-crossed even before the inaugural crewed mission earlier this year.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 30 Sep. 2024
Few Olympic teams in any sport have had to rebound more times or overcome adversity more often than the U.S. women’s water polo team, the most successful in the world in the pool and the most star-crossed outside it.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024
She’s swung so far in the opposite direction from the theatricality of star-crossed and the synth-y jams of Golden Hour that these songs barely even have drums.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 15 Mar. 2024
The attraction between the star-crossed, cross-cultural couple is electric and propulsive, lasting for years with unmitigated intensity.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024
That’s a career best for the U.S. country artist, and third top 10 appearance following 2018’s Golden Hour (No. 6) and 2021’s star-crossed (No. 10).
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2024
Throughout 2020 and into 2021, the production seemed increasingly star-crossed.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 12 Jan. 2024
From the beginning, then, El Señor Presidente has been star-crossed.
—Larry Rohter, The New York Review of Books, 4 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for star-crossed
Adjective
-
Viet and Nam try to make sense of the tragic deaths of unfortunate people like Nam’s father, while their film namesake also attempts to do similar for people like those who have perished when attempting to find a new life.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Here at home, extreme weather exacerbated by climate change is having many unfortunate impacts on our lives, from farmers losing crops to devastating floods, brush fires, and high heat days.—
Michael Leone,
Hartford Courant,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Rather than panic, consider that software developers are pretty unhappy with the status quo.—
Steve Rodda,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Recent polling also suggests that Americans are relatively unhappy with DOGE’s efforts.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
No punishment for shooting a disastrous 24 percent from 3, the team’s worst perimeter performance since its 6-for-23 effort from deep against St. John’s on Feb. 23.—
Brendan Marks,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Or how about their disastrous appearance on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here?—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
That puts them above Chelsea, Manchester United, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as the hapless bottom three, who have failed to mount a similar level of improvement despite two of them changing managers as Wolves did.—
Steve Madeley,
The Athletic,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Amid the twinkling grandeur of the cosmos, two hapless astronauts are fumbling crucial tasks: docking into a space station; adjusting the angle of satellite dishes; keeping their plants alive.—
Lewis Gordon,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Pattinson plays Mickey Barnes, a hard-luck guy who has a job that kills him over and over again, getting printed out again after every death.—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
7 Mar. 2025
-
While Michigan State is overwhelmingly likely to clinch the conference regular season title (the Spartans host Penn State this weekend), a sweep by either Ohio State or Minnesota this weekend would wrap up second place, and the right to host hard-luck Notre Dame in round one.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Star-crossed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/star-crossed. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share