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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unfortunate
The Mavericks did not offer an update about Irving's status after Monday's game, but Kidd described it as an unfortunate moment.
—
Chantz Martin, Fox News, 4 Mar. 2025
So, with studios largely avoiding major new releases, this weekend had the unfortunate effect of being the lowest weekend at the overall domestic box office during the Oscars in at least 15 years.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2025
The unfortunate news is that Nvidia’s geopolitical problems extend beyond its reliance on Taiwanese facilities, and the prospect of tighter rules on AI chip exports to China is an overhang on the stock alongside broader trade policy uncertainty that’s weighed on Wall Street.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025
Taking cues from the Stephen King short story of the same name, the film tracks the unfortunate lives of twin brothers who discover a mysterious wind-up monkey that can cause outrageous deaths at random.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Chantz Martin, Fox News, 4 Mar. 2025
So, with studios largely avoiding major new releases, this weekend had the unfortunate effect of being the lowest weekend at the overall domestic box office during the Oscars in at least 15 years.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2025
The unfortunate news is that Nvidia’s geopolitical problems extend beyond its reliance on Taiwanese facilities, and the prospect of tighter rules on AI chip exports to China is an overhang on the stock alongside broader trade policy uncertainty that’s weighed on Wall Street.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025
Taking cues from the Stephen King short story of the same name, the film tracks the unfortunate lives of twin brothers who discover a mysterious wind-up monkey that can cause outrageous deaths at random.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfortunate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfortunate
Adjective
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Thuney, who was traded to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick in 2026, held up fairly well — even earning team MVP honors — until the disastrous Super Bowl LIX when Patrick Mahomes was sacked six times and hit five more.—
Jeff Fedotin,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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According to a study by Beacon Economics, this has been particularly disastrous for workers, ages 16 to 19.—
Matt Fleming,
Orange County Register,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Penguins listed Bunting as a healthy scratch early this season because coaches were unhappy with his effort in games and practices.—
Josh Yohe,
The Athletic,
6 Mar. 2025
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Independent distributors are unhappy with the growing percentage of royalty payments for their artists that are too low to be worth processing.—
Bill Rosenblatt,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The tragic consequence is that today Putinism is advancing across Europe and the United States.—
Michael McFaul,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
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Because Indy has no knowledge of what is happening in the house, nor any awareness of what a haunted house even is in the first place, his reactions are scarier and more tragic than those of a human.—
Rafael Motamayor,
IndieWire,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The sheriff's office said Tuesday that the company that provides natural gas service for the home made no significant findings after looking for gas leaks and carbon monoxide, the colorless, odorless gas that can be fatal by depriving people from getting enough oxygen.—
Alex Sundby,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2025
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However, this condition raises your risk of esophageal cancer, which can be fatal.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
7 Mar. 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 13 Mar. 2025.
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