ill-fated
Americanadjective
-
destined, as though by fate, to an unhappy or unfortunate end.
an ill-fated voyage.
- Synonyms:
- ill-starred, doomed, cursed, accursed
-
bringing bad fortune.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of ill-fated
First recorded in 1700–10
Explanation
If you have terrible luck, you're ill-fated. An ill-fated plan to drive across the country might end with your old car breaking down in Kansas. An ill-fated day is one you remember for years as extremely unlucky, and an ill-fated decision, in retrospect, was a really bad choice. An ill-fated attempt at tightrope walking results in falling off over and over again, and an ill-fated choice of lunch in a foreign country might end in food poisoning. Ill-fated is rooted in ill-, "badly," and fated, "be destined to happen," from the Latin fatum, "that which has been spoken."
Vocabulary lists containing ill-fated
Blood on the River
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Pre-AP Theatre
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Far from the Tree
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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.
Alicante gives it ill-fated monuments and exuberant crowds.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
The last time a soccer proposal caused such uproar was the ill-fated 2021 European Super League fiasco, which was shot down in the space of 48 hours following fan protests and political opposition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
None of the passengers on that ill-fated journey wore life jackets, he told the BBC.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The ill-fated 1943 revolt in the ghetto was the Bund’s last stand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
The last time I’d been there was on my journey with the ill-fated heating element.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
