ill-fated

American  

[il-fey-tid] / ˈɪlˈfeɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. destined, as though by fate, to an unhappy or unfortunate end.

   an ill-fated voyage.

   Synonyms:

   ill-starred, doomed, cursed, accursed

2. bringing bad fortune.

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ill-fated British  

adjective

1. doomed or unlucky

   an ill-fated marriage

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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."

Example Sentences

The most purely physical effect in the film is the vessel Odysseus and his crew use in their ill-fated attempt to get home as soon as possible.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026

And because Kendall didn’t disclose that she was paid to promote the ill-fated festival, she was ordered to pay $90K in restitution to the event’s duped investors.

From Salon • Jul. 2, 2026

And over a decade after the demise of the ill-fated Google Glass, Alphabet is trying its hand at smart glasses again with the May launch of its Intelligent Eyewear.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 27, 2026

He was nearly forced out in March, over his ill-fated decision to appoint ex-Jeffrey Epstein associate Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to Washington.

From Barron's • Jun. 21, 2026

A little more than a year after their wedding, Alfred was attending the ill-fated Christmas party where Frank was killed.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Related Words

• disastrous