The meaning of UNFORTUNATE is not favored by fortune : unsuccessful, unlucky. How to use unfortunate in a sentence.

UNFORTUNATE definition: 1. unlucky or having bad effects: 2. (of remarks or behaviour) not suitable in a way that could…. Learn more.

Unfortunate definition: suffering from bad luck.. See examples of UNFORTUNATE used in a sentence.

Something unfortunate is something that you wished had not happened — like that unfortunate incident that got you suspended from school. Let's not bring that up.

If you describe someone as unfortunate, you mean that something unpleasant or unlucky has happened to them. You can also describe the unpleasant things that happen to them as unfortunate.

Nov 24, 2025 · unfortunate (comparative more unfortunate, superlative most unfortunate) Not favored by fortune. synonym, antonym quotations Synonym: unsuccessful Antonym: fortunate

un•for•tu•nate (un fôr′ chə nit), adj. suffering from bad luck: an unfortunate person. unfavorable or inauspicious: an unfortunate beginning. regrettable or deplorable: an unfortunate remark. marked by …

These adjectives mean having or marked by bad luck: an unfortunate turn of events; a hapless victim; an ill-fated business venture; an ill-starred romance; a luckless suitor; an unlucky accident.

Synonyms for UNFORTUNATE: disastrous, fatal, catastrophic, destructive, damning, calamitous, fateful, ruinous; Antonyms of UNFORTUNATE: fortunate, happy, lucky, fortuitous, providential, fair, …

Find 558 different ways to say UNFORTUNATE, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.