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
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
This one, sustained right as Demko appeared to be finding his dominant groove in the blue paint, is especially unfortunate.
—
Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Internet users couldn't cope with the unfortunate image, leading to more than 905,600 views and 109,600 likes on TikTok in a matter of days.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
But, in the unfortunate event that your life is cut short, there is no better legacy than giving the gift of life to others.
—Terry Baddoo, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
That is unfortunate but ineluctable, given the balance on the battlefield and the unwillingness of both the Biden administration and the current one to pour in the military resources that would give Ukraine a chance of defeating Russia.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Internet users couldn't cope with the unfortunate image, leading to more than 905,600 views and 109,600 likes on TikTok in a matter of days.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
But, in the unfortunate event that your life is cut short, there is no better legacy than giving the gift of life to others.
—Terry Baddoo, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
That is unfortunate but ineluctable, given the balance on the battlefield and the unwillingness of both the Biden administration and the current one to pour in the military resources that would give Ukraine a chance of defeating Russia.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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Victor Kristiansen, January 2023 Similar to Faes, Kristiansen only knows a relegation dogfight in the Premier League after joining midway through the disastrous 2022-23 season.—
Rob Tanner,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
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Three campaigns stand out — one weirdly funny, one weirdly disastrous and one weirdly endearing.—
Steven Hyden,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Many previous Trump advisers, including Mr. Bolton, have tried to contain Mr. Trump, with unhappy results.—
Michael Crowley,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
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Thus, Amazon knows there won't be a raft of unhappy customers complaining about losing their apps.—
Ryan Whitwam,
Ars Technica,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The documentary explores tragic teenage murders that gained global attention, including the deaths of British footballer Charlie Cosser and American cheerleader Tristyn Bailey.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
26 Feb. 2025
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And then everything changed due to the pandemic and the great Helen McCrory’s tragic passing.—
Brian Davids,
The Hollywood Reporter,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Gordon Cordeiro had his freedom secured on Friday after a judge ordered him released in light of new DNA evidence that led to the overturning of his conviction in the 1994 fatal shooting of Timothy Blaisdell on the island of Maui.—
Landon Mion,
Fox News,
23 Feb. 2025
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Even a pencil tip amount of the synthetic opioid pain reliever drug can be fatal, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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These unfavorable political circumstances for Hochul would seem to set up a primary challenge from the left, the traditional path to denying incumbent officeholders renomination in Democratic primaries.—
David Mark,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Feb. 2025
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Amid a slew of unfavorable sports outcomes in last year’s fourth quarter, Flutter projects U.S. quarterly revenues of $1.59 billion.—
Matt Rybaltowski,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfortunate. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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