ill-fated

adjective

ill-fat·​ed ˈil-ˈfā-təd How to pronounce ill-fated (audio)
1
: having or destined to a hapless fate : unfortunate
an ill-fated expedition
2
: that causes or marks the beginning of misfortune

Examples of ill-fated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Their journey might seem ill-fated, though a slim possibility of finding the treasure always remains. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024 Even in California’s Central Valley, there are reports of growing enthusiasm that what has been an ill-fated, wildly over budget high-speed rail project might actually come to fruition in six years. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 The game plan was ill-fated to start and then exposed as the wrong approach almost immediately Sunday. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2023 There was a common misconception that Better Call Saul characters had to die to explain their absence on Breaking Bad, and so many viewers expected Kim to be ill-fated. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2023 And her efforts to make Gap more relevant through a big collaboration with Yeezy proved ill-fated, leading to tens of millions of dollars in losses. Byphil Wahba, Fortune, 26 July 2023 The timing seemed especially ill-fated, given that the United States Sentencing Commission that year was again calling attention to the racial disparities produced by what was known as the 100-to-1 rule. Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023 Their love is ill-fated, and not just because Satine is the mistress of a wealthy duke whose funds could ensure the club stays open. Brittanie Shey, Chron, 27 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ill-fated.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1710, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ill-fated was in 1710

Dictionary Entries Near ill-fated

Cite this Entry

“Ill-fated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ill-fated. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ill-fated

adjective
ill-fat·​ed
ˈil-ˈfāt-əd
: doomed to disaster
an ill-fated expedition

More from Merriam-Webster on ill-fated

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