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
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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
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Recent Examples of unlucky
And then there is a gory massacre scene from the original Camp Miasma, in which Little Death (played by TV Glow‘s Jack Haven) slaughters dozens of unlucky campers to a highly unusual, anachronistic hit song from the 1990s.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026
Americans are not uniquely unlucky.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Boston Herald, 18 May 2026
For much of our nation’s history, any fish unlucky enough to be born in Wisconsin or Vermont had a good chance of being murdered by whey.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
But, last week, Cirie got unlucky when Survivor randomly split the merged tribe again.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026
Americans are not uniquely unlucky.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Boston Herald, 18 May 2026
For much of our nation’s history, any fish unlucky enough to be born in Wisconsin or Vermont had a good chance of being murdered by whey.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
But, last week, Cirie got unlucky when Survivor randomly split the merged tribe again.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unlucky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlucky
Adjective
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And yes, there is the unfortunate elephant in the room.—
Pete Sweeney
May 22,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
-
Now resupply is by motorbike, ground robot or drone or in the case of Russia, carried on the backs of unfortunate soldiers known as camels.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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What could have easily made for an overwrought and even tragic read, however, is presented with a surprisingly light touch.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
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The ongoing issues for Kirby Smart and his players have only increased since a tragic accident claimed the life of offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy following the 2022 national championship season.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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With the Mets taking a 2-1 lead, Rodón, clearly unhappy, appeared to curse at himself as Austin Wells patted him on the shoulder.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
17 May 2026
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Janet reportedly attended an early private screening of the rough cut of the film and walked away pretty unhappy.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
15 May 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
Cite this Entry
“Unlucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlucky. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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