un·for·tu·nate
ˌən-ˈfȯrch-nət,
-ˈfȯr-chə-
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
: an unfortunate person
Synonyms
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
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2024
There is also a cost to not airing the presumptive Republican nominee’s remarks, which, like the views of Trump supporters who are left out of panel debates, constitute a significant part of our political reality, however unfortunate that may be.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024
However, virality can bring with it some unfortunate consequences.
—Angel Diaz, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
Many bosses have blamed the unfortunate job cuts on over-hiring following strong pandemic-era performance, which, naturally, hasn’t gone over well with their workers or boosted morale.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Root of the Problem The unfortunate man who succumbed to excessive black licorice consumption is not alone.
—Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
To avoid this unfortunate result, coat the blueberries lightly with flour to help keep them suspended in the batter as the cake layers bake.
—Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
To have a black eye on this experience is unfortunate.
—Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
Yet the timing of its publication turned out to be unfortunate.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
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
Adjective
Rumors began to go around that Patel’s film touched upon some sensitive areas regarding India’s caste system and the way that the mix of religion and nationalism had become an unfortunate part of the nation’s contemprary landscape.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2024
There is also a cost to not airing the presumptive Republican nominee’s remarks, which, like the views of Trump supporters who are left out of panel debates, constitute a significant part of our political reality, however unfortunate that may be.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024
However, virality can bring with it some unfortunate consequences.
—Angel Diaz, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
Many bosses have blamed the unfortunate job cuts on over-hiring following strong pandemic-era performance, which, naturally, hasn’t gone over well with their workers or boosted morale.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Root of the Problem The unfortunate man who succumbed to excessive black licorice consumption is not alone.
—Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
To avoid this unfortunate result, coat the blueberries lightly with flour to help keep them suspended in the batter as the cake layers bake.
—Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
To have a black eye on this experience is unfortunate.
—Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
Yet the timing of its publication turned out to be unfortunate.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near unfortunate
Cite this Entry
“Unfortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfortunate. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unfortunate
1 of 2 adjective
un·for·tu·nate
ˌən-ˈfȯrch-(ə-)nət
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
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