unfortunate
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adj.having bad luck or happening because of bad luck.
adj.not favoured by fortune; marked by or resulting from misfortune.
Simple“It was unfortunate that the rain started just as the picnic began.”
In context“The company suffered an unfortunate series of financial setbacks just as they were preparing to launch their most ambitious product line.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.describing a choice, comment, or action that was a mistake or not appropriate.
adj.regrettable, inappropriate, or tactless in nature.
Simple“The minister made an unfortunate remark about the local community.”
In context“The CEO's choice of words during the press conference was highly unfortunate, leading to a significant drop in the firm's share price.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a person who has very bad luck or lives in difficult conditions.
n.a person who has fallen into bad circumstances or suffers from persistent ill-fortune.
Simple“The charity provides food and shelter for the unfortunates of the city.”
In context“The novel focuses on the lives of various unfortunates who were cast out of society during the industrial revolution.”
UsageOften used as a collective noun with 'the' to refer to a group of people.
“All manner of unlikely and unfortunate actions can lead to the loss of fossils from museums.”
“There have also been reports of ant-infecting Ophiocordyceps species showing a seeming preference for specific plants , like understory palm trees and moss carpets , as death sites for their unfortunate hosts.”
From un- + fortunate, doublet of infortunate.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.