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
There are some unfortunate provisions to the EO, particularly its call to increase prescription drug importation.
—
Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Things took a darker turn when one unfortunate neighbor became a bird victim.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Locals, however, have also noticed the unfortunate side effects: rising prices and property values.
—Meehika Barua, HubSpot, 18 Apr. 2025
Ramsey financial fallout Among the unfortunate upshots of a likely trade involving Jalen Ramsey, who is looking to be dealt:
Miami will take a significant cap hit if he’s traded before June 1.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Things took a darker turn when one unfortunate neighbor became a bird victim.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Locals, however, have also noticed the unfortunate side effects: rising prices and property values.
—Meehika Barua, HubSpot, 18 Apr. 2025
Ramsey financial fallout Among the unfortunate upshots of a likely trade involving Jalen Ramsey, who is looking to be dealt:
Miami will take a significant cap hit if he’s traded before June 1.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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But what could have been a disastrous situation from the jump has the looks of becoming a positive for Báez and the Tigers.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Apple had seemed to resolve this with its Private Cloud Compute, but then its disastrous Apple Intelligence delays made all that somewhat academic for the time being at least.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Particularly now that Americans are unhappy with the state of economy.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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Some 59% of voters are unhappy with how things are going in the country.—
Dana Blanton,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The December fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson allegedly by Luigi Mangione serves as an extreme and tragic example.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
12 Apr. 2025
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The episode is fundamentally a story about relationships, good and ill. 3. 'San Junipero' (Season 3, 2016) Romantic, gratifying but also deeply tragic, this retro-futuristic episode starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis is Emmy-winning and beloved by fans for a reason.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Black lung, a debilitating and often fatal condition caused by inhalation of coal and silica dust during mining, affects roughly 1 in 5 miners who have worked in the Central Appalachian mines for twenty-five years or more, according to NIOSH.—
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
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The day of the fatal fall, Goodwin said Bass had checked on Tidus and his brother minutes prior, and then had stepped outside with the dog.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Trump has derided the outlets as being unfavorable to him and a drain on taxpayer money.—
Bloomberg News,
Boston Herald,
15 Apr. 2025
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According to a Quinnipiac poll released in mid-March, only 7 percent of American voters have a favorable opinion of Putin, while 81 percent have an unfavorable opinion of him.—
Eric Jason Martin Tanya Pérez Ted Blaisdell,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
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