UNFORTUNATE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for UNFORTUNATE?

Need another word that means the same as “unfortunate”? Find 25 synonyms and 30 related words for “unfortunate” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Unfortunate” are: inauspicious, unlucky, hapless, out of luck, down on one's luck, luckless, wretched, miserable, forlorn, unhappy, poor, pitiful, adverse, disadvantageous, unfavourable, untoward, unwelcome, regrettable, inappropriate, unsuitable, inapt, infelicitous, tactless, injudicious, unfortunate person

Unfortunate as a Noun

Definitions of "Unfortunate" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “unfortunate” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• A person who suffers bad fortune.
• A person who suffers misfortune.
• A person who is considered immoral or lacking in religious faith or instruction, especially a prostitute.

Synonyms of "Unfortunate" as a noun (1 Word)

unfortunate person

A person who suffers misfortune.

Usage Examples of "Unfortunate" as a noun

• Those unfortunates whose lives are marred by poverty.

Unfortunate as an Adjective

Definitions of "Unfortunate" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “unfortunate” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Having or marked by bad fortune; unlucky.
• Not auspicious; boding ill.
• Regrettable or inappropriate.
• Unsuitable or regrettable.
• Not indicating a good chance of success; inauspicious.
• Not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune.

Synonyms of "Unfortunate" as an adjective (24 Words)

adverse	Preventing success or development; harmful; unfavourable. Taxes are having an adverse effect on production.
disadvantageous	Involving or creating unfavourable circumstances that reduce the chances of success or effectiveness. A disadvantageous outcome.
down on one's luck	Understood perfectly.
forlorn	Marked by or showing hopelessness. The last forlorn attempt.
hapless	Deserving or inciting pity. A hapless victim.
inappropriate	Not suitable for a particular occasion etc. Completely inappropriate behavior.
inapt	Not suitable or appropriate in the circumstances. A more inapt name I cannot imagine.
inauspicious	Contrary to your interests or welfare. Following this inauspicious start the British outnumbered withdrew.
infelicitous	Unfortunate; inappropriate. An infelicitous remark.
injudicious	Showing very poor judgement; unwise. I took a few injudicious swigs of potent cider.
luckless	Having or bringing misfortune. An osprey seized the luckless fish with its talons.
miserable	Very unhappy; full of misery. You miserable old creep.
out of luck	Out of power; especially having been unsuccessful in an election.
pitiful	Deserving or inciting pity. Pitiful exhibition of cowardice.
poor	Deserving or inciting pity. The jejune diets of the very poor.
regrettable	(of conduct or an event) giving rise to regret; undesirable; unwelcome. It s regrettable that she didn t go to college.
tactless	Lacking or showing a lack of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others. It was tactless to bring up those disagreeable.
unfavourable	Not favorable. Single mothers are often the target of unfavourable press attention.
unhappy	Not happy. An unhappy coincidence.
unlucky	Having, bringing, or resulting from bad luck. An unlucky defeat.
unsuitable	Not fitting or appropriate. The display is unsuitable for young children.
untoward	Unexpected and inappropriate or inconvenient. Both tried to behave as if nothing untoward had happened.
unwelcome	(of a guest or new arrival) not gladly received. Unwelcome attentions from men.
wretched	Of very poor quality or condition. The wretched conditions of the slums.

Usage Examples of "Unfortunate" as an adjective

• His unfortunate remark silenced the gathering.
• An unfortunate speech.
• An unfortunate choice of words.
• Unfortunate investments.
• An unfortunate night for all concerned.
• An unfortunate decision.
• An unfortunate turn of events.
• The delay at the airport was an unfortunate start to our holiday.
• There'd been an unfortunate accident.

Associations of "Unfortunate" (30 Words)

bereft	Unhappy in love; suffering from unrequited love. Bereft of hope.
calamitous	(of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin. Such calamitous events as fires hurricanes and floods.
defeated	People who are defeated. She looked defeated quite unlike her normal self.
disadvantaged	Marked by deprivation especially of the necessities of life or healthful environmental influences. We began to help the disadvantaged.
disastrous	Having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin. The battle was a disastrous end to a disastrous campaign.
fateful	Having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin. A fateful oversight.
foreboding	A feeling that something bad will happen; fearful apprehension. When the Doctor spoke his voice was dark and foreboding.
frustrating	Discouraging by hindering. It can be very frustrating to find that the size you want isn t there.
hapless	Deserving or inciting pity- Galsworthy. A hapless victim.
inauspicious	Presaging ill fortune- P.B.Shelley. My words with inauspicious thunderings shook heaven.
infelicitous	Marked by or producing unhappiness. The infelicitous typesetting was due to illegible copy.
misadventure	An unfortunate incident; a mishap. The petty misdemeanours and misadventures of childhood.
mischance	An instance of misfortune. By pure mischance the secret was revealed.
miserable	Causing unhappiness or discomfort. Almost depleted his miserable store of dried beans.
mournful	Expressing sorrow. Stared with mournful eyes.
ominous	Presaging ill fortune. There were ominous dark clouds gathering overhead.
pathetic	Miserably inadequate; of very low standard. The shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic.
piteous	Deserving or inciting pity. Piteous appeals for help.
pitiable	Contemptibly poor or small. The men were in a pitiable condition.
pitiful	Deserving or inciting pity. A pitiful fate.
premonition	An early warning about a future event. He had a premonition of imminent disaster.
presentiment	An intuitive feeling about the future, especially one of foreboding. A presentiment of disaster.
tragic	Suffering extreme distress or sorrow. A tragic accident.
underprivileged	Lacking the rights and advantages of other members of society. The plight of the underprivileged.
unfulfilled	Of persons; marked by failure to realize full potentialities. I was restless and unfulfilled.
unhappy	Causing discomfort. After the argument they lapsed into an unhappy silence.
unlucky	Marked by or promising bad fortune- W.H.Prescott. The visitors were unlucky to have a goal disallowed.
unpropitious	(of a circumstance) not giving or indicating a good chance of success; unfavourable. His reports were submitted at a financially unpropitious time.
unsuccessful	Not successful. An unsuccessful attempt to enter Parliament.
wretched	Deserving or inciting pity- Galsworthy. Spent a wretched night on the floor.