Unfortunate Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Kids Definition of unfortunate · 1 : not fortunate : unlucky the unfortunate victim an unfortunate incident · 2 : accompanied by or resulting in bad luck an ... Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut unfortunate adjective SaveWord un·​for·​tu·​nate |\ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət,-ˈfȯr-chə- \ Definitionofunfortunate (Entry1of2) 1a :notfavoredbyfortune:unsuccessful,unlucky anunfortunateyoungman b :markedoraccompaniedbyorresultinginmisfortune anunfortunatedecision 2a :infelicitous,unsuitable anunfortunatechoiceofwords b :deplorable,regrettable anunfortunatelackoftaste unfortunate noun Definitionofunfortunate (Entry2of2) :anunfortunateperson Synonyms MoreExampleSentences LearnMoreAboutunfortunate Synonymsforunfortunate Synonyms:Adjective calamitous, cataclysmal (orcataclysmic), catastrophic, damning, destructive, disastrous, fatal, fateful, ruinous VisittheThesaurusforMore  ExamplesofunfortunateinaSentence Adjective Shewasunfortunateenoughtohavebeenchosenasanexample. anunfortunatechainofevents It'sunfortunatethathecouldn'tbehereforyourbirthday. Hehasanunfortunatetendencytoshowuplate. anunfortunatechoiceofwords Noun agroupofpoorunfortunates SeeMore RecentExamplesontheWeb:Adjective Inchangingcourseaboutthelivestream,ChuwroteinherNov.9rulingthatthetimingoftheprotestwasunfortunatebuthadnoimpactonherdecision. — DanielleWallace,FoxNews,7Dec.2021 Forthosewhohavebookedinternationaltravelfortheupcomingwinterholidayseason,thetimingisindeedunfortunate. — KarlaCripps,CNN,29Nov.2021 Bigsbygettingknockedoutofboundson3rddownwasunfortunate. — al,28Nov.2021 Evenso,theverynotionthatthisisbeingbrandedasanoriginstoryis...unfortunate. — ScottMendelson,Forbes,27Oct.2021 TheWrangler'sold-schoolshapehasanunfortunateeffectonitsaccommodations,whichareparticularlytightupfront. — MikeSutton,CarandDriver,26Nov.2021 Sucheffectscanbetheunfortunateoutcomeofthesetransplants,explainsSuzanneMilne,anursepractitionerforIntermountainHealthcare,whoworkedonthebonemarrowunitwhenStokeswasthere. — TheSaltLakeTribune,26Nov.2021 TheonlineschedulingportalsforCVSandStarMarketoftenbearanunfortunatemessage:Notimeslotsareavailable. — GlobeStaff,BostonGlobe.com,23Nov.2021 Thiswasanunfortunatemistakethatoccurredduringthegame. — ScottOstler,SanFranciscoChronicle,22Nov.2021 RecentExamplesontheWeb:Noun TheunfortunatewouldhavebeenshippedofftoaslowdeathamongmillionsofothervictimsofSovietpurges. — SamKiley,CNN,30Oct.2021 OneunfortunatefledtoChina,onlytobearrestedandsenthome,whereuponhewaspromptlydispatchedtoacamp. — TheEconomist,13Mar.2021 Thefilm'stitleisashaperepresentingthemeetingpointbetweenthephysicalworldandtheonebeyond;hairy,patientmothsseemtoholdthesoulsofsomeunfortunates,thoughwhysomepeoplemeetthisfateisunclear. — JohnDefore,TheHollywoodReporter,23July2019 Ourfamilyname,Ramirez,isthesamenameoftheseunfortunateswhodidnotmakeitacrosstheriver. — DpOpinion,TheDenverPost,30June2019 Butthatgentleslopehasbeenknowntocausestrollersandwheelchairstorolloffaswell,nottomentiontheintoxicated,thedisoriented,wrestlers,andotherunfortunates. — WilliamFinnegan,TheNewYorker,2July2018 Theseunfortunatesspenthourseachdaychewingtoughroots,chokingdownleavesandstems,munchingontinyberriesandgorgingonrarewindfallsofmeat,bonemarrowandworms. — NathanH.Lents,WSJ,13Apr.2018 Asthethreadsofsocietybreakdown,thepoorunfortunateswhosurvivedtheinitialbarragedon'tsomuchliveasmerelyexistinthepost-apocalypticruins. — PeterBright,ArsTechnica,25Jan.2018 TherearestillunfortunatesamonguswhohaveyettoleanforwardandsquintindisbeliefatthegrainyYouTubeimagescapturingTharpe,necklineshighandhemlineslow,coaxingthefirst,fierylicksfromherGibsonSG. — AndreaSimakis,cleveland.com,21Jan.2018 Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'unfortunate.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. SeeMore FirstKnownUseofunfortunate Adjective 15thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedatsense1aNoun 1683,inthemeaningdefinedabove LearnMoreAboutunfortunate Shareunfortunate PosttheDefinitionofunfortunatetoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofunfortunateonTwitter TimeTravelerforunfortunate Thefirstknownuseofunfortunatewas inthe15thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury FromtheEditorsatMerriam-Webster The'Infortunate'DictionaryScam The'Infortunate'DictionaryScam Thestoryofalittle-known19th-centuryswindle TheSecretHistoriesof'Catastrophe',... TheSecretHistoriesof'Catastrophe','Debacle',andMore 'Tragedy'didn'talwaysmean"disaster" DictionaryEntriesNearunfortunate unfortified unfortunate unfortunately SeeMoreNearbyEntries  Statisticsforunfortunate LastUpdated 11Dec2021 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Unfortunate.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfortunate.Accessed20Dec.2021. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsforunfortunate unfortunate adjective EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofunfortunate (Entry1of2) :havingbadluck:unlucky :comingorhappeningbybadluck :notappropriateordesirable unfortunate noun EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofunfortunate (Entry2of2) :anunfortunateperson SeethefulldefinitionforunfortunateintheEnglishLanguageLearnersDictionary unfortunate adjective un·​for·​tu·​nate |\ˌən-ˈfȯr-chə-nət \ KidsDefinitionofunfortunate 1 :notfortunate:unlucky theunfortunatevictimanunfortunateincident 2 :accompaniedbyorresultinginbadluck anunfortunatedecision 3 :notproperorsuitable anunfortunateremark OtherWordsfromunfortunate unfortunately adverb Unfortunately,noonewashome. MorefromMerriam-Websteronunfortunate Nglish:TranslationofunfortunateforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofunfortunateforArabicSpeakers WORDOFTHEDAY huckster SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! 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