unlucky
Americanadjective
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(of a person) not lucky; lacking good fortune; ill-fated.
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(of an event or circumstance) inauspicious or characterized by misfortune; ominous.
adjective
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characterized by misfortune or failure
an unlucky person
an unlucky chance
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ill-omened; inauspicious
an unlucky date
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regrettable; disappointing
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dialect causing trouble; mischievous
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of unlucky
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Thirteen is meant to be an unlucky number.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
No city in sports is quite as unlucky as Buffalo, N.Y.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
The 6-foot-7 forward hadn’t played more than 66 games in a season during his first three years in the NBA, often beset by nagging or unlucky injuries.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
The meal ended quickly, and the remains of the unlucky rodent were left scattered across the cave floor.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
“Some unlucky sod who happened to be on the road at the wrong time,” Kote said dismissively.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
