misfortune
noun
mis·for·tune
ˌmis-ˈfȯr-chən 
1
a
: an event or conjunction of events that causes an unfortunate or distressing result : bad luck
by misfortune he fell into bad company
had the misfortune to break his leg
b
: an unhappy situation
always ready to help people in misfortune
2
: a distressing or unfortunate incident or event
misfortunes never come singly
Examples of misfortune in a Sentence
a victim of economic misfortune
She endured her misfortune without complaint.
It was my misfortune to be chosen first.
Her injury was a great misfortune.
He blamed the party's misfortunes on poor leadership.
Recent Examples on the Web
The party’s misfortunes appear even greater in the context of its landslide victory in July last year, which delivered it a sizable majority in parliament.
—
Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
What Birkin did have is je ne sais quoi, to her misfortune as much as to her advantage.
—Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
The Mets aren't afraid to open their wallet for a chance to win, and with their pitching misfortunes lately, might go above and beyond to bring Valdez to the Big Apple.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
The Yankees should not be in this position, sweating the unpredictability of a three-game wild-card series, but their misfortune during the summer brought them here.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfortune
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Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
What Birkin did have is je ne sais quoi, to her misfortune as much as to her advantage.
—Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
The Mets aren't afraid to open their wallet for a chance to win, and with their pitching misfortunes lately, might go above and beyond to bring Valdez to the Big Apple.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
The Yankees should not be in this position, sweating the unpredictability of a three-game wild-card series, but their misfortune during the summer brought them here.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfortune
Cite this Entry
“Misfortune.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misfortune. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
misfortune
noun
mis·for·tune
(ˈ)mis-ˈfȯr-chən
1
: bad luck especially for a long period of time
2
: an unfortunate condition or event : disaster
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