ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
an unfortunate chain of events destroyed the business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 unfortunate
An unfortunate amount of 1979's Moonraker style consists of spacesuits.
—
EW.com, 23 Mar. 2025
But that Near Future will cast an unfortunate, possibly unintended pall over the production two hours and 35 minutes later, but more about that then.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2025
Young boys are in an unfortunate spot where there is messaging that makes sense of this right now.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025
With a 6-5 record in 11 games post-All Star Weekend (including 2-3 in their last five), Tom Thibodeau's Knicks have been in a bit of a rut that began before Brunson's unfortunate injury.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
EW.com, 23 Mar. 2025
But that Near Future will cast an unfortunate, possibly unintended pall over the production two hours and 35 minutes later, but more about that then.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2025
Young boys are in an unfortunate spot where there is messaging that makes sense of this right now.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025
With a 6-5 record in 11 games post-All Star Weekend (including 2-3 in their last five), Tom Thibodeau's Knicks have been in a bit of a rut that began before Brunson's unfortunate injury.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
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
-
Despite that success, Willard was unhappy with the program’s financial commitments.—
Taylor Lyons,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
-
The extra time will presumably be used to fix whatever about the season executives are unhappy with.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The tragic case of Kitty Genovese in 1964 famously illustrated this concept, though the case details have been subject to later scrutiny and revision.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
-
John Lennon’s tragic death in 1980 forever changed the trajectory of life for his widow Yoko Ono and their son Sean.—
Rachel DeSantis,
People.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The ordeal ended with the fatal exchange of gunfire about 9:50 p.m., more than five hours after the first call to deputies.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
That is known as meconium aspiration syndrome – a potentially fatal condition that occurs in 5% to 10% of births but is treatable if diagnosed in time.—
Khwaga Ghani,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In her home state, about 4 in 10 New York voters in the November election viewed her favorably while about the same share had an unfavorable opinion, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of the 2024 electorate.—
Jonathan J. Cooper and Nicholas Riccardi,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2025
-
This combination of company-specific issues and unfavorable market sentiment has driven CRWD stock down approximately 20% from its February peak, returning to around $360 per share.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share