unlucky

American  

[uhn-luhk-ee] / ʌnˈlʌk i /

adjective

unluckier, unluckiest

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

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

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unlucky British  

/ ʌnˈlʌkɪ /

adjective

1. characterized by misfortune or failure

   an unlucky person

   an unlucky chance

2. ill-omened; inauspicious

   an unlucky date

3. regrettable; disappointing

4. dialect causing trouble; mischievous

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Other Word Forms

• unluckily adverb
• unluckiness noun

Etymology

Origin of unlucky

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

Example Sentences

"But for the first 19 games it has been a constant battle, close to each other, sometimes a bit lucky, sometimes a bit unlucky," he admitted.

From Barron's

I watched Palace's defeat against Tottenham on Sunday and they just looked knackered, but they still created some chances and were unlucky not to take something from the game.

From BBC

And if you are unlucky enough to already own one of them, you should sell it immediately.

From Barron's

Pope might feel unlucky to have fallen to Marnus Labuschagne's breathtaking one-handed catch at second slip, but this was yet another failure against Australia.

From BBC

St Mirren and Celtic have played each other twice on league duty this season, and Saints have been desperately unlucky to lose both by a late goal.

From BBC

Related Words

• hapless
• miserable
• tragic
• unhappy