ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
an unfortunate chain of events destroyed the business
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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
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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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of unfortunate
The result is an unfortunate—and unnecessary—digital divide that significantly impacts the lives of people with disabilities, leaving them at a disadvantage in nearly every facet of society.
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Dekel Skoop, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
The first was the unfortunate accident where a pedestrian, jaywalking, was struck by a car driven by a human and thrown into the path of a Cruise vehicle that could not stop in time.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2024
Putting four question marks after Thom Yorke’s name on the poster, apparently at Yorke’s behest, was an unfortunate choice that led to a lot of confusion about whether a band (Radiohead, perhaps?) would be making an unannounced appearance.
—Al Shipley, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
There was a misery montage of balls dropping… which again, is an unfortunate phrasing.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unfortunate 
Dekel Skoop, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
The first was the unfortunate accident where a pedestrian, jaywalking, was struck by a car driven by a human and thrown into the path of a Cruise vehicle that could not stop in time.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2024
Putting four question marks after Thom Yorke’s name on the poster, apparently at Yorke’s behest, was an unfortunate choice that led to a lot of confusion about whether a band (Radiohead, perhaps?) would be making an unannounced appearance.
—Al Shipley, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
There was a misery montage of balls dropping… which again, is an unfortunate phrasing.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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But the film’s poisonous reviews and disastrous box office all but torpedoed her Oscar hopes this year, and the film was shut out in Monday’s Globe nominations.Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024
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While Norris and Piastri scored points regularly, Red Bull’s defense of its title was hampered by Sergio Perez’s disastrous form, with the Mexican’s last podium coming in the sprint race in Miami.Dan Cancian, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Some artists and publishers are unhappy with the way their content is being scraped freely by companies like OpenAI and Google to train their large language models — AI models trained on huge quantities of data to generate humanlike responses.Ryan Browne, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2024
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Cronin — who had to cancel some summer shows this year due to unspecified health issues — further acknowledges that there’s acrimony between he and Hall, and he’s been unhappy with some of the social media discourse blaming him for the end of the REO Speedwagon name.Gary Graff, Billboard, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Obituaries Toni Morrison dead at 88: ‘Beloved’ author captured tragic and joyful complexion of life and race Aug. 6, 2019 As a winner of seven NAACP awards and countless more accolades for her achievements in poetry — Giovanni helped up-and-coming writers.Astrid Kayembe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
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This tragic incident has drawn attention to the broader issue of chronic pain, which affects millions of Americans and is often linked to significant mental and emotional distress.Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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According to Kenny, the gunman was finally seen entering a cab that dropped him off near the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal at 178th St and Broadway — his last known location — around 7:30 a.m., just 45 minutes after the fatal shooting.Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 7 Dec. 2024
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This week’s fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson has unleashed a wave of public feeling — exasperation, anger, resentment, helplessness — from Americans sharing personal stories of interactions with insurance companies, often seen as faceless corporate giants.Tom Murphy and Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But Trump’s return, and pledge to end the war quickly, has fueled concern that an unfavorable truce might be forced on Ukraine.Lorne Cook, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
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But now, thanks to a glut of unfavorable conditions in the U.S. housing market, boomers face a new retirement problem: affordable and accessible homes in which to age.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near unfortunate
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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