ill-starred
Americanadjective
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doomed to misfortune or disaster; ill-fated; unlucky.
an ill-starred enterprise.
-
disastrous.
an ill-starred marriage.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of ill-starred
First recorded in 1595–1605
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.
In her story of ill-starred lovers and class divisions set on the bleak moors of Yorkshire, England, Emily Brontë creates two contrasting visions of home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
But what tilts this ill-starred production into epic disaster is the backstage drama that breaks out when romantic jealousy spreads throughout the company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2025
There are portents aplenty packed into the hold of the ill-starred ship of the title in “The Last Voyage of the Demeter.”
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 10, 2023
In a 1995 article about the film for The Times, John Noble Wilford, the science journalist who covered “the ill-starred flight” in 1970, attests to the film’s authenticity.
From New York Times ● Feb. 27, 2023
“No, ma’am, not twins,” answered Alyce again, wondering why twin cows such as Baldred and Billfrith should be such a joy and a boon while twin babies were ill-starred and unlucky.
From "The Midwife's Apprentice" by Karen Cushman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
