Unfortunate
/ʌnˈfɔːrtʃənət/
Definitions
2 meaningsExperiencing bad luck or unfavorable circumstances.
/ʌnˈfɔːrtʃənət/
Experiencing or marked by misfortune; unlucky.
The unfortunate timing of the announcement hurt the company's stock price.
💡 Simply: Imagine you wanted to go to the park, but it started raining. That's unfortunate! It means something bad or unlucky happened.
👶 For kids: When something bad happens, like if you drop your ice cream, that's unfortunate!
More Examples
It was an unfortunate coincidence that both of their flights were delayed.
She considered it unfortunate that she missed the concert.
How It's Used
"It was an unfortunate accident."
"The unfortunate incident caused a delay in the train service."
"He was unfortunate to lose his keys on his trip"
A person who is experiencing a misfortune
/ʌnˈfɔːrtʃənət/
A person who has suffered misfortune.
The charity provided aid to the unfortunate.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, when something bad happens to someone, we call them an unfortunate. Think of someone who lost everything in a fire – they are among the unfortunate.
👶 For kids: Someone who has had some bad luck.
More Examples
The story focuses on the struggles of the unfortunate in society.
We should offer help to the unfortunate.
How It's Used
"The book details the struggles of the unfortunate."
"Society must help the unfortunate."
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
an unfortunate turn of events
A situation or a sequence of events that has resulted in negative or undesirable consequences.
"The project faced an unfortunate turn of events when the key funding was withdrawn."
the unfortunate truth
A statement or fact that is accurate but is also undesirable or causes distress.
"The unfortunate truth is that we are not going to be able to finish this project on time."
From Middle French *unfortunate*, from Latin *infortunatus* ('unlucky'), from *in-* ('not') + *fortunatus* ('prosperous, lucky'), from *fortuna* ('chance, luck').
Used since the late 16th century, 'unfortunate' has maintained its core meaning of being marked by bad luck or unfavorable circumstances.
Memory tip
Think of 'fortune' – the prefix 'un-' negates it, meaning 'not fortunate'.
Practice
Word Origin
Prefix: in- (not)