unfortunate
Americanadjective
-
suffering from bad luck.
an unfortunate person.
- Synonyms:
- hapless, unsuccessful
-
unfavorable or inauspicious.
an unfortunate beginning.
-
regrettable or deplorable.
an unfortunate remark.
-
marked by or inviting misfortune.
an unfortunate development.
-
lamentable; sad.
the unfortunate death of her parents.
noun
adjective
-
causing or attended by misfortune
-
unlucky, unsuccessful, or unhappy
an unfortunate character
-
regrettable or unsuitable
an unfortunate speech
noun
Other Word Forms
- unfortunately adverb
- unfortunateness noun
Etymology
Origin of unfortunate
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.
"While this is an unfortunate incident, Hasbro's business operations remain open," a Hasbro spokesperson told BBC News.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said it was an "unfortunate overreach" that was "difficult to understand or justify".
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026
Factories seemed poised for a rebound this year, making higher input costs an unfortunate setback.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
“We talked to them about what to expect ... but any kind of security that’s needed is an unfortunate aspect of doing IP shows. We just try to be mindful and monitor it.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
And it is also at this point that he would have made an unfortunate discovery: looking at his image in a mirror will have had the effect of halving its height.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
