ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
an unfortunate chain of events destroyed the business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unhappy
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
up to that point in her life she had been unfortunate in love
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
an unfortunate choice of words that would later prove to be embarrassing for the talk show host
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unfortunate
Forgive my cynicism, but the owners created this unfortunate landscape, insisting the sport’s competitive balance is out of whack when the standings, again, indicate otherwise.
—
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 27 May 2026
And yes, there is the unfortunate elephant in the room.
—Pete Sweeney
may 22, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Jon Stewart stopped by The Late Show to pay tribute to his friend and former colleague Stephen Colbert, offering up a few gifts to honor the late-night show’s unfortunate ending.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026
Paul McCartney shared a humorous memory from his teenage years with fellow Beatle George Harrison involving an electric milk truck — and an unfortunate shock.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 27 May 2026
And yes, there is the unfortunate elephant in the room.
—Pete Sweeney
may 22, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Jon Stewart stopped by The Late Show to pay tribute to his friend and former colleague Stephen Colbert, offering up a few gifts to honor the late-night show’s unfortunate ending.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026
Paul McCartney shared a humorous memory from his teenage years with fellow Beatle George Harrison involving an electric milk truck — and an unfortunate shock.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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The study, published on May 31, highlights an ongoing trend toward wildfires becoming increasingly extreme, costly, and disastrous — both economically and in lives lost.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
Leigh Ann, boy, so striking to hear the former first lady talk about that disastrous debate performance.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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What’s leaving one unhappy child at home compared to sending five hundred people home from the theatre happy?—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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Shohei Ohtani almost became the most unhappy pitcher to ever be part of throwing a no-hitter.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Ribeiro’s father never spoke about the difficult moments in his life as an immigrant in a tragic manner.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
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Though long dead, Faith’s presence continues to haunt the estate, where dark secrets tied to her tragic past remain deeply embedded within the carriage house walls.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Iyo Sky, Roxanne Perez, Giulia and Lash Legend squared off in a fatal four-way match with a spot in the semifinals waiting for the winner.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
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Underscoring the stakes for Louisville residents is the March fatal shooting of a 28-year-old woman named Katelyn Hall, who was experiencing a mental health crisis when police gunned her down in her own apartment.—
Topher Sanders,
ProPublica,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Garrincha also played at the 1966 World Cup, but his drinking had reached catastrophic levels by then.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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And late last week about 50,000 people were evacuated in Southern California after a chemical tank overheated and threatened the area with a catastrophic explosion.—
Martha Bellisle,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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