star-crossed

American  

[stahr-krawst, -krost] / ˈstɑrˌkrɔst, -ˌkrɒst /

adjective

1. thwarted or opposed by the stars; ill-fated.

   star-crossed lovers.

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star-crossed British  

adjective

1. dogged by ill luck; destined to misfortune

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Etymology

Origin of star-crossed

First recorded in 1585–95

Explanation

When it seems like you're doomed to have bad luck, you're star-crossed. You may feel like your camping plans are star-crossed if it rains every time you head into the woods with your sleeping bag. Shakespeare coined this term in the prologue of Romeo and Juliet, when he described his tragic protagonists as "a pair of star-cross'd lovers." Right off the bat, he made it clear that these two will have terrible luck as they repeatedly try to be together. The stars themselves seem to be working against them, an idea that reflected the common 16th-century belief that the position of the stars could control a person's fate.

Example Sentences

After 2021's experimental, post-divorce record Star-Crossed, her latest album Deeper Well marks another artistic swerve - towards stillness and serenity.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2024

But other examples, like Kacey Musgraves’ Star-Crossed, don’t do anything for me that I don’t already get from the stereo version.

From The Verge • Oct. 25, 2021

BTS was named group of the year and sent thanks by video from South Korea, while Grammy-winning country singer Kacey Musgraves performed for the first time on the VMA stage with her new single "Star-Crossed."

From Reuters • Sep. 13, 2021

Still Star-Crossed Tensions escalate between the Montagues and Capulets in a new episode of this period drama inspired by Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2017

Rhimes gets more space on the schedule at mid-season with Still Star-Crossed, about what happens to the Montagues and Capulets after the saga of Romeo and Juliet.

From The Guardian • May 17, 2016