unfortunate

1 of 2

adjective

un·​for·​tu·​nate
ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət,
-ˈfȯr-chə- How to pronounce unfortunate (audio)
1
a
: not favored by fortune : unsuccessful, unlucky
an unfortunate young man
b
: marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune
an unfortunate decision
2
a
: infelicitous, unsuitable
an unfortunate choice of words
b
: deplorable, regrettable
an unfortunate lack of taste

unfortunate

2 of 2

noun

: an unfortunate person

Examples of unfortunate in a Sentence

Adjective She was unfortunate enough to have been chosen as an example. an unfortunate chain of events It's unfortunate that he couldn't be here for your birthday. He has an unfortunate tendency to show up late. an unfortunate choice of words Noun a group of poor unfortunates
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
His habit costs him — and his unfortunate partners — thousands of points. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Electric cars have been getting a bum rap lately for a variety of reasons, most notably their premium prices, cold-weather battery range and the unfortunate state of public charging. Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Nothing as off-the-cuff or zany as men often get away with in their speeches, and that’s unfortunate. Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 That’s unfortunate because some of the best post-nuptial getaways in the world are served ice cold. Jillian Dara, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024 Cancellation fees have become a hot-button issue—spurring everything from that unfortunate viral interaction in Boston to a steady stream of TikToks explaining, complaining about, and defending the fees. Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 29 Feb. 2024 Intelligence agencies have a long and unfortunate history of trying to root out LGBTQ Americans from their workforce, but this wasn’t Yeagley’s intent. Byron Tau, WIRED, 27 Feb. 2024 While the delay is unfortunate, the Jetstream #1 well is still anticipated to reach TD, be tested with a comprehensive suite of open-hole wireline logs and be completed by the first week of March. Charlotte Observer, 23 Feb. 2024 In Just My Luck, Lohan starred alongside Chris Pine as the luckiest woman in New York City, who trades luck with an unfortunate janitor. Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024
Noun
The two unfortunates who’ve been cast as his keepers are his husband, Martin (Ben Whishaw), and Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos), with whom Tomas strikes up a romance. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2023 The true unfortunates, though, are the people who were injured or died in these incidents and who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sebastian Blanco, Car and Driver, 8 July 2023 Of the remaining unfortunates, those who have dodged the plague appear likely to end up swinging from a noose — many is the tree, bridge and crumbling building that bears such strange fruit. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 18 Feb. 2023 The unfortunate would have been shipped off to a slow death among millions of other victims of Soviet purges. Sam Kiley, CNN, 30 Oct. 2021 One unfortunate fled to China, only to be arrested and sent home, whereupon he was promptly dispatched to a camp. The Economist, 13 Mar. 2021 The film's title is a shape representing the meeting point between the physical world and the one beyond; hairy, patient moths seem to hold the souls of some unfortunates, though why some people meet this fate is unclear. John Defore, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 July 2019 Our family name, Ramirez, is the same name of these unfortunates who did not make it across the river. Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 30 June 2019 But that gentle slope has been known to cause strollers and wheelchairs to roll off as well, not to mention the intoxicated, the disoriented, wrestlers, and other unfortunates. William Finnegan, The New Yorker, 2 July 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unfortunate.' 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

Adjective

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

Noun

1683, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unfortunate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near unfortunate

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

unfortunate

1 of 2 adjective
un·​for·​tu·​nate ˌən-ˈfȯrch-(ə-)nət How to pronounce unfortunate (audio)
1
a
: not fortunate : unlucky
b
: showing, accompanied by, or resulting in misfortune
an unfortunate experience
unfortunate investments
2
a
: unsuitable, infelicitous
an unfortunate choice of words
b
: deplorable sense 1
an unfortunate lack of taste
unfortunately adverb

unfortunate

2 of 2 noun
: an unfortunate person

More from Merriam-Webster on unfortunate

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