un·for·tu·nate
Audio Help [uhn-fawr-chuh-nit] Pronunciation Key
Audio Help [uhn-fawr-chuh-nit] Pronunciation Key –adjective
–noun
| 1. | suffering from bad luck: an unfortunate person. |
| 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. |
| 6. | an unfortunate person. |
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
unfortunate
To learn more about unfortunate visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| un·for·tu·nate
Audio Help (ŭn-fôr'chə-nĭt) Pronunciation Key
adj.
n. A victim of bad luck. un·for'tu·nate·ly adv., un·for'tu·nate·ness n. Synonyms: These adjectives mean marked by, affected by, or promising bad fortune: an unfortunate turn of events; a hapless victim; an ill-fated business venture; an ill-starred romance; a luckless suitor; an unlucky accident. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
unfortunate (adj.)
1530, "unlucky," from un- (1) "not" + pp. of fortunate (see fortune). In late 18c.-early 19c., unfortunate woman was a polite way to say "prostitute." The noun meaning "one who is not fortunate" is recorded from 1638. Unfortunately is attested from 1548, originally "not successfully, to a regrettable extent." The proper meaning is now rare; the main modern sense of "sad to say" is first recorded 1706 in parenthetical or detached use.
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| unfortunate | |
adjective | |
| 1. | not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune; "an unfortunate turn of events"; "an unfortunate decision"; "unfortunate investments"; "an unfortunate night for all concerned" [ant: fortunate] |
| 2. | not auspicious; boding ill [syn: inauspicious] [ant: auspicious] |
| 3. | unsuitable or regrettable; "an unfortunate choice of words"; "an unfortunate speech" |
noun | |
| 1. | a person who suffers misfortune |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
unfortunate1 [anˈfoːtʃənət] adjective
unlucky
Example: He has been very unfortunate.
unfortunate2 [anˈfoːtʃənət] adjectiveExample: He has been very unfortunate.
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regrettable
Example: He has an unfortunate habit of giggling all the time.
See also: unfortunatelyExample: He has an unfortunate habit of giggling all the time.
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
Unfortunate
Un*for"tu*nate\, a. Not fortunate; unsuccessful; not prosperous; unlucky; attended with misfortune; unhappy; as, an unfortunate adventure; an unfortunate man; an unfortunate commander; unfortunate business. -- n. An unfortunate person. --Hood. -- Un*for"tu*nate*ly, adv. -- Un*for"tu*nate*ness, n.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
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