as in unhappy
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
an ill-starred attempt to circumnavigate the earth in a balloon
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-starred
Adjective
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The 28-year-old receiver is reportedly unhappy with his situation in Philadelphia, despite winning a Super Bowl a little over a year ago.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026 -
But there may be an answer, or at least a compromise that will satisfy those unhappy with the idea of destroying a usable building.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Russian ambassador to Libya hung out in my room, as did a Russian kid named Konstantin with an unfortunate stutter and endearing affection for the American rock band Metallica.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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The film is a Hulu release, continuing the rather unfortunate trend of comedy no longer being the box office powerhouse it once was.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Trailing by three after a disastrous first period, the Sharks got goals from Nick Leddy and Macklin Celebrini in the second period, and a nifty third-period goal from Alex Wennberg to tie the game and bring the capacity crowd at SAP Center to life.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
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The regular sight of US citizens paraded in Iran was disastrous for former President Jimmy Carter.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Vasyanovych plays Roman, a luckless director who’s out of work and trying to shoot his latest film in a country whose dwindling population is still traumatized by the war.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The hapless Washington Wizards visit Kaseya Center on Saturday hoping to preserve their 14% odds of securing the top pick in next month’s draft lottery.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
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Unlike that film, The Drama, which is distributed by A24, isn’t necessarily trying to lampoon a hapless character who deserves our ire.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ill-starred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-starred. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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