unlucky

[ uhn-luhk-ee ]

/ ʌnˈlʌk i /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unlucky ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, un·luck·i·er, un·luck·i·est.

(of a person) not lucky; lacking good fortune; ill-fated.

(of an event or circumstance) inauspicious or characterized by misfortune; ominous.

Nearby words

unlovable, unloved, unlovely, unloving, unluckily, unlucky, unmade, unmake, unman, unmanageable, unmanly

Origin of unlucky

First recorded in 1520–30; un-¹ + lucky¹

SYNONYMS FOR unlucky

hapless, unsuccessful, unfortunate, ill-omened.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unlucky ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsun·luck·i·ly, adverbun·luck·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unlucky

At that unlucky moment, his call was being randomly screened.
A Million Ways to Die in Prison|Daniel Genis|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And at the same time, I think I am unlucky when I look at how it all ended.
Vilified Bitcoin Tycoon After Losing $500 Million: My Life Is at Risk|Nathalie-Kyoko Stucky|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“It was the least fortunate or unlucky place to be born female,” she said.
The Life of Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo, the (Most Likely) Real 'Mona Lisa'|Justin Jones|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As unlucky as Gama was to have been hit, he was incredibly lucky that neither bullet had pierced his skull into his brain.
Easter Miracle in Brooklyn for Shooting Victim|Michael Daly|April 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Unlucky fans and casual observers alike can still enjoy the NCAA tournament.
The March Madness Teams to Cheer If Yours Got Bounced|Ben Teitelbaum|March 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The battalions which they approached scared them away by shouts, until the unlucky beasts knew not which way to turn.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 60, No. 373, November 1846|Various
New Year's Day was a high day with them, and they had a great many lucky and unlucky days.
The Mysteries of All Nations|James Grant
From this unlucky country that was made when the devil spat.
The Green Helmet and Other Poems|William Butler Yeats
Before dawn the unlucky expedition returned to their quarters at Jacques Cartier.
The Conquest of Canada (Vol. 2 of 2)|George Warburton
Among seamen she was rated an unlucky ship, and Lawrence was confidently expected to break the spell.
The Fight for a Free Sea: A Chronicle of the War of 1812|Ralph D. Paine

British Dictionary definitions for unlucky

unlucky

/ (ʌnˈlʌkɪ) /

adjective

characterized by misfortune or failurean unlucky person; an unlucky chance

ill-omened; inauspiciousan unlucky date

regrettable; disappointing

British dialect causing trouble; mischievous

Derived Formsunluckily, adverbunluckiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for unlucky

unlucky

adj.

1520s, "marked by misfortune or failure," from un- (1) "not" + lucky. Cf. West Frisian unlokkich, Mliddle Low German unluckich. Sense of "boding ill" is recorded from 1540s; that of "having bad luck" is from 1550s; that of "bringing bad luck" is from 1580s.

unlucky

adjective, un·luck·i·er, un·luck·i·est.

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Nearby words

Origin of unlucky

Examples from the Web for unlucky

British Dictionary definitions for unlucky

unlucky

adjective

Word Origin and History for unlucky

unlucky