# unlucky

/ənˈɫəki/ (US) · /ʌnlˈʌki/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unlucky
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. having bad luck

adjective · CEFR A2

having bad luck or experiencing a situation where things go wrong by chance.

For teachers: experiencing misfortune or being the subject of unfavorable chance events.

- He was very unlucky to lose his keys on the first day of his holiday.
- The team was incredibly unlucky to concede a goal in the final minute of the match after dominating the entire game.

### 2. bringing bad luck

adjective · CEFR B1

believed to bring bad luck to anyone who has or does it.

For teachers: considered inauspicious or believed to act as a harbinger of misfortune.

- In some cultures, it is considered unlucky to walk under a ladder.
- Superstitious sailors often believed that changing the name of a ship was unlucky and would lead to disaster at sea.

## Examples

- He was unlucky to lose his keys on the first day.
- The team played exceptionally well but were unlucky to hit the post twice in the final minutes of the game.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.