ENGLISH
REFERENCE

unlucky

adj.
A2 Elementary US //ənˈɫəki// UK //ʌnlˈʌki// un·lucky

adj. having bad luck or experiencing bad things by chance. You use this to describe someone who is not successful because of things they cannot control.

adj. characterised by misfortune or having bad luck. Often used to describe a person who experiences an unfavorable outcome despite their best efforts or intentions.


SIMPLE

He was unlucky to lose his keys on the first day.

CONTEXTUAL

The team played exceptionally well but were unlucky to hit the post twice in the final minutes of the game.

COMPLEX

While some attribute his career failures to poor planning, others argue he was simply unlucky, having entered the market just as the global economy began its sharpest decline in decades.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From un- + lucky.

Usage

Commonly followed by an infinitive ('unlucky to find') or a prepositional phrase ('unlucky in love').

Pitfall

He is very disluckyHe is very unluckyLearners sometimes use the prefix 'dis-' instead of 'un-' to form the negative of lucky.

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