Unfortunate
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Unfortunate is an adjective meaning Not favored by fortune.
Meaning
Not favored by fortune.
More Meanings
- Marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune.
- Regrettable or unsuitable.
- An unlucky person; one who has fallen into bad circumstances.
- (archaic, euphemistic) A prostitute.
Example Sentences
Thus ended the life of one of the most unfortunate of small railway concerns.
Of those adults who used the trains every day, about half now travel daily by bus, [...] one unfortunate is reported to be walking to and from his employment.
Unlike the unfortunates aboard the Triumph, we viewers are in and out of the situation in under an hour and feel like we have had quite a lot of fun in the process.
But as the tower and towee reached the cross-roads again, another car, negligently driven, came round the corner, hit the Morris, and severed the tow rope, sending the unfortunate car back again into the shop window[…]
Word Forms
- unfortunates
Synonyms for unfortunate
Depending on context, synonyms include unsuccessful, unlucky, hapless, wretched, abject, pitiful.
Antonyms for unfortunate
Common opposites include lucky, auspicious.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include ill-fated, unlucky, ill-starred, hapless, ill-omened, inauspicious.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.