misadventure
Americannoun
noun
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an unlucky event; misfortune
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law accidental death not due to crime or negligence
Etymology
Origin of misadventure
1250–1300; mis- 1 + adventure; replacing Middle English mesaventure < Old French
Explanation
Ever climb a ladder and then, when you’re at the top, the ladder tips over, leaving you stranded up there? That’s the start of a misadventure, an unfortunate situation that happens because of bad luck. Kids are always having misadventures. Falling into a pit of mud, getting stuck between slats in a fence, a monkey stealing the shirt off your back: all classic misadventures. The word is rooted in the French word mesaventure, which translates to “turn out badly.” Some misadventures are only embarrassing, while others are exhausting and sad. The worst part? You can’t prevent a misadventure, because they happen by chance.
Vocabulary lists containing misadventure
Power Prefix: mis-
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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Selected Short Stories of H.G. Wells
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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.
The gigs will showcase his spellbinding new album, Life By Misadventure, which is the first since his 2017 debut, Human, rocketed him to fame.
From BBC • May 6, 2021
Rex and Bob’s Excellent Misadventure “My Fair Lady’s” Henry Higgins and “The Music Man’s” Harold Hill become trapped in each other’s shows in this new musical comedy.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2019
We already know this story: Misadventure ensues, starting with the family’s car rental, a lunchbox-on-wheels imported from Albania, with a navigation system that speaks only Korean.
From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2015
Lyons is currently in the middle of writing a book titled Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Startup Bubble, which sounds like the next natural leap from working on TV.
From The Verge • Jun. 12, 2015
The Truth about Tristrem Varick By Edgar Saltus, author of "Mr. Incouls Misadventure," "The Philosophy of Disenchantment," "Balzac" In this novel Mr. Saltus has treated a subject hitherto unexplored in fiction.
From Eden An Episode by Saltus, Edgar
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.
