misfortune

noun

mis·​for·​tune ˌmis-ˈfȯr-chən 

1

a

: an event or conjunction of events that causes an unfortunate or distressing result : bad luck

by misfortune he fell into bad company

had the misfortune to break his leg

b

: an unhappy situation

always ready to help people in misfortune

2

: a distressing or unfortunate incident or event

misfortunes never come singly

Synonyms

• adversity
• ill
• knock
• misadventure
• mischance
• mishap
• tragedy

Choose the Right Synonym for misfortune

misfortune, mischance, adversity, mishap mean adverse fortune or an instance of this.

misfortune may apply to either the incident or conjunction of events that is the cause of an unhappy change of fortune or to the ensuing state of distress.

never lost hope even in the depths of misfortune

mischance applies especially to a situation involving no more than slight inconvenience or minor annoyance.

took the wrong road by mischance

adversity applies to a state of grave or persistent misfortune.

had never experienced great adversity

mishap applies to an often trivial instance of bad luck.

the usual mishaps of a family vacation

Examples of misfortune in a Sentence

a victim of economic misfortune

She endured her misfortune without complaint.

It was my misfortune to be chosen first.

Her injury was a great misfortune.

He blamed the party's misfortunes on poor leadership.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 40-year-old mom-of-two took to her Instagram Stories on Thursday, December 26 to share that both of her children with ex Tristan Thompson had the misfortune of getting sick just before the holidays. —David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024

Linde has the misfortune of being lumped together with the S & P 500 materials sector , which has been the second-worst-performing area in the market quarter to date. —Jeff Marks, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2024

The capacity to recognize that short-term misfortunes can lead to long-term picks is significant in both chess and business. —Boris Kreiman, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Walking under a ladder: This superstition stems from the idea that walking under a ladder disrupts the triangle, a symbol of life, and invites misfortune. —Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

misfortune

noun

mis·​for·​tune (ˈ)mis-ˈfȯr-chən 

1

: bad luck especially for a long period of time

2

: an unfortunate condition or event : disaster