Nearby Words

unfortunate

[uhn-fawr-chuh-nit] Example Sentences Origin

un·for·tu·nate

[uhn-fawr-chuh-nit]
adjective
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.
noun
6.
an unfortunate person.

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Unfortunate is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

Origin:
1520–30; un-1 + fortunate

un·for·tu·nate·ly, adverb
un·for·tu·nate·ness, noun


1. unsuccessful, hapless.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To unfortunate
Example Sentences
  • The prime minister has tried to cast these as a series of unfortunate events beyond his control.
  • Should this derail conversations with prospective candidate universities, it would be unfortunate and would do.
  • Now, in a surprising twist, they have said that the whole affair was an unfortunate mistake.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
unfortunate (ʌnˈfɔːtʃənɪt)
 
adj
1.  causing or attended by misfortune
2.  unlucky, unsuccessful, or unhappy: an unfortunate character
3.  regrettable or unsuitable: an unfortunate speech
 
n
4.  an unlucky person
 
un'fortunateness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

unfortunate
1520s, "unlucky," from un- (1) "not" + fortunate. 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 1630s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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