unfortunate

[US]/ʌn'fɔːtʃ(ə)nət/
[UK]/ʌn'fɔrtʃənət/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

adj. unlucky, having bad luck; experiencing unfavorable circumstances; not successful
n. a person who is unlucky or experiencing misfortune.

Example Sentences

the unfortunate Cunningham was sacked.

an unfortunate case of mistaken identity.

an unfortunate lack of good manners.

You mustn’t ridicule unfortunate people.

I sincerely pity these unfortunate beings.

the picture has an unfortunate bleed.

the delay at the airport was an unfortunate start to our holiday.

an unfortunate turn of events;

It is indeed unfortunate!

the family motto is ‘Faithful though Unfortunate’.

his unfortunate appearance was offset by a compelling personality.

his unfortunate remark silenced the gathering.

This is an unfortunate name, because they are not cilia but long protoplasmic extensions.

His unfortunate death was a great loss to the firm.

It's unfortunate when a father and son can't relate to each other.

she went over to commiserate with Rose on her unfortunate circumstances.

outside of an unfortunate sermon, he never put a foot wrong.

Does this unfortunate news augur war in the near future?

(Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events)...

Real-world Examples

It may be very, very unfortunate for the world.

Source: NPR News February 2018 Compilation

" Bit unfortunate, really… Come on Hermione… "

Source: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

They blamed themselves for this unfortunate marriage.

Source: Tess of the d'Urbervilles (abridged version)

The diarrhea and vomiting are especially unfortunate.

Source: Daily Life Medical Science Popularization

Well, the whole situation was incredibly unfortunate.

Source: Desperate Housewives (Audio Version) Season 5

Oh. That's too bad. How unfortunate!

Source: CET-6 Listening Past Exam Questions (with Translations)

It's unfortunate to feel guilty about it.

Source: CNN 10 Student English February 2023 Compilation

You are going to have unfortunate incidents.

Source: VOA Standard April 2013 Collection

This unfortunate case is known as sleep paralysis.

Source: If there is a if.

Some are just based on unfortunate coincidences and associations.

Source: Bilingual Edition of TED-Ed Selected Speeches

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