noun
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evil fortune; bad luck
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an unfortunate or disastrous event; calamity
Related Words
See affliction.
Etymology
Origin of misfortune
Explanation
On a gloomy day, you may feel compelled to list your misfortunes: a broken umbrella, a broken heart, a broken toe. Misfortune means bad luck or the state of having bad luck. Break misfortune into its parts and you get mis- meaning bad and fortune meaning chance or luck. Sometimes it can feel like misfortune follows you. Picture it as a gloomy psychic named "Miss Fortune" who can only see the bad things in your future.
Vocabulary lists containing misfortune
Power Prefix: mis-
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"The Experiment" and "Superstition"
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Girl with a Pearl Earring
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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.
Many youth—not just those who have had the grave misfortune of being arrested and stuck in hellish immigration detention centers—are intently watching these interactions and wondering what’s next for them.
From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026
Even the way that she reacts to her misfortune — and a lot of it is self-inflicted — feels like a past version of me, or a low-vibrational version of me.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
That worry is the massive drop-off in proven quality at international level should any misfortune befall England captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
We pay to insure our cars, homes and even our lives against misfortune.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026
“When planning misfortune for your friends,” he said, “be careful because it will come back to haunt you. You must always wish others well.”
From "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba
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.
