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Synonyms

unfortunate

American  
[uhn-fawr-chuh-nit] / ʌnˈfɔr tʃə nɪt /

adjective

  1. suffering from bad luck.

    an unfortunate person.
    Synonyms:
    hapless, unsuccessful

  2. unfavorable or inauspicious.

    an unfortunate beginning.

  3. regrettable or deplorable.

    an unfortunate remark.

  4. marked by or inviting misfortune.

    an unfortunate development.

  5. lamentable; sad.

    the unfortunate death of her parents.

noun

  1. an unfortunate person.

unfortunate British  
/ ʌnˈfɔːtʃənɪt /

adjective

  1. causing or attended by misfortune

  2. unlucky, unsuccessful, or unhappy

    an unfortunate character

  3. regrettable or unsuitable

    an unfortunate speech
"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

noun

  1. an unlucky person

"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

Other Word Forms

  • unfortunately adverb
  • unfortunateness noun

Etymology

Origin of unfortunate

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

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.