1
as in unfortunate
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
the unlucky campers had rain all week I'm so unlucky I don't bother to play the lottery an unlucky throw of the dice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
the settlers made the unlucky decision to cross the dangerous mountain pass in the middle of winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unlucky
Those unlucky enough to not have a real fan, like all the publicists on the carpet, were using their folders and papers to fan themselves instead—but nothing seemed to really break the heat.
—
Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026
Ola Aina was unlucky to see a spectacular dipping effort bounce back off the bar.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The location and strength of opponent, particularly defensively, makes KU mostly unlucky here.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026
First, Enrico Delprato turned a Che Adams shot into his own net in the 55th minute and two minutes later Mandela Keita was unlucky when a Simeone shot came off the bar, hit him almost on the goalline and bounced into the net.
—ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026
Ola Aina was unlucky to see a spectacular dipping effort bounce back off the bar.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The location and strength of opponent, particularly defensively, makes KU mostly unlucky here.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026
First, Enrico Delprato turned a Che Adams shot into his own net in the 55th minute and two minutes later Mandela Keita was unlucky when a Simeone shot came off the bar, hit him almost on the goalline and bounced into the net.
—ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlucky
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Another effort will be going into local schools to make sure students understand that a simple mistake can be the start of something tragic for everyone in the mountain communities.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
When a series of tragic failures at New Era Community Health Center left scores of the county’s weakest, poorest and most erratic residents in danger, Florida health inspectors took the unusual step of threatening to shut down the home.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Auriemma was apparently unhappy with the officiating in the game and the disparity in free throw shooting.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Despite the changes, some in the Senate were still unhappy with the final iteration.—
Keely Doll,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Unlucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlucky. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
