unlucky
Americanadjective
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(of a person) not lucky; lacking good fortune; ill-fated.
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(of an event or circumstance) inauspicious or characterized by misfortune; ominous.
adjective
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characterized by misfortune or failure
an unlucky person
an unlucky chance
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ill-omened; inauspicious
an unlucky date
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regrettable; disappointing
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dialect causing trouble; mischievous
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unlucky
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.
See Examples For:
It’s a connection, a Gazan journalist said, that Witkoff also made with Hamas leaders, being in the unlucky “club of parents who have lost children,” and, this person said, it won him their grudging respect.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
"Being impacted by such a rare, distant projectile really underscores how unlucky the dinosaurs were," says Dr. Claeys.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
The character was known for his ambition and mysterious business dealings but also had a reputation for being unlucky in love.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Western Asset Management has 13 — unlucky for some — closed-end funds currently trading on the stock market.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
Several unlucky birds lay limp in the grass.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
"We couldn't have been unluckier than that. This is not what we were expecting," said Harmanpreet.
From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2023
"Is there anyone unluckier than me?" said Xiaohongshu user "sanmingliu", who posted photos of her shipping container room.
From Reuters ● Nov. 2, 2022
But there have been even unluckier players than Trout.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 5, 2020
We saw that, though we were born in far unluckier places, we have all the same talents as our Western-born peers.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2019
"Your sickness certainly couldn't have come at an unluckier time," Woodruff observed just before he left.
From The Plum Tree by Ashe, E. M.
The first thing that had to go right was an unbelievable stroke of luck on the unluckiest night of Tatum’s life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
They have been called “the unluckiest generation” in U.S. history.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 10, 2026
And as for choosing the supposedly unluckiest day of the year?
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2024
How did one of football’s unluckiest franchises manage to blow things this badly?
From Slate ● Jan. 29, 2024
Maybe it hit the floor and rolled into another crack—a crack in the living room floor—which would make Genie the unluckiest kid in the world.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
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.
