unfortunate

[ uhn-fawr-chuh-nit ]
See synonyms for: unfortunateunfortunates on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. suffering from bad luck: an unfortunate person.

  2. unfavorable or inauspicious: an unfortunate beginning.

  1. regrettable or deplorable: an unfortunate remark.

  2. marked by or inviting misfortune: an unfortunate development.

  3. lamentable; sad: the unfortunate death of her parents.

noun
  1. an unfortunate person.

Origin of unfortunate

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

Other words for unfortunate

Other words from unfortunate

  • un·for·tu·nate·ly, adverb
  • un·for·tu·nate·ness, noun

Words Nearby unfortunate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use unfortunate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for unfortunate

unfortunate

/ (ʌnˈfɔːtʃənɪt) /


adjective
  1. causing or attended by misfortune

  2. unlucky, unsuccessful, or unhappy: an unfortunate character

  1. regrettable or unsuitable: an unfortunate speech

noun
  1. an unlucky person

Derived forms of unfortunate

  • unfortunateness, 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