Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

unfortunate en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • /ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nət/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ʌnˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nət/ General American, weak vowel merger
  • /ʌnˈfɔɹt͡ʃ.nət/ General American, weak vowel merger
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ʌnˈfɔɹt͡ʃ.nɪt/ (Canada, General-American)
  • /ʌnˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nɪt/ (Canada, General-American)

Etymology

From un- + fortunate, doublet of infortunate.

Meanings

  1. Not favored by fortune.
    • Thus ended the life of one of the most unfortunate of small railway concerns. 1958 June 14, John Marshall, “The Forest of Dean Central Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 422:
  2. Marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune.
    • But as the tower and towee reached the cross-roads again, another car, negligently driven, came round the corner, hit the Morris, and severed the tow rope, sending the unfortunate car back again into the shop window[…] 1933, Henry Sturmey, H. Walter Staner, The Autocar:
  3. Regrettable or unsuitable.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
more unfortunate Degree=Cmp lexicographic
most unfortunate Degree=Sup lexicographic

Antonyms

fortunate · lucky · fortunate

Deriveds

unfortunate-looking · unfortunately · unfortunateness

Relateds

infelicitous · deplorable · unsuitable · regrettable

Synonyms

unlucky · unsuccessful

Translations (95)

kk бақытсыз (not favored by fortune) · mk не́среќен (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · io desfortunoza (not favored by fortune) · el κακότυχος (not favored by fortune) · ru неуда́чный (not favored by fortune) · grc ἀτυχής (not favored by fortune) · eo malbonŝanca (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · ru несча́стный (not favored by fortune) · de unglücklich (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · ota اوغورسز (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · es desafortunado (not favored by fortune) · ckb بێبەخت (not favored by fortune) · es desgraciado (not favored by fortune) · ml ദൗർഭാഗ്യം (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · fo óskepnuligur (not favored by fortune) · ru неуда́чливый (not favored by fortune) · ga mífhortúnach (not favored by fortune) · ja 不幸 (not favored by fortune) · no uheldig (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · hi अभागा (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · ru неуда́чный (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · el άμοιρος (not favored by fortune) · la īnfēlīx (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · cmn 不幸 (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · bg нещастен (not favored by fortune) · el αποτυχημένος (not favored by fortune) · ko 불행 (not favored by fortune) · fo vanlukkuligur (not favored by fortune) · ota قوتسز (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · fr infortuné (not favored by fortune) · pt desafortunado (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · el άτυχος (not favored by fortune) · pt azarado (not favored by fortune) · sv olycklig (not favored by fortune) · de unglückselig (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · fo eydnuleysur (not favored by fortune) · ru невезучий (not favored by fortune) · pt desafortunado (not favored by fortune) · it malcapitato (not favored by fortune) · no uheldig (not favored by fortune) · ota بختسز (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · mk не́среќен (not favored by fortune) · de unglücklich (not favored by fortune) · pl pechowy (not favored by fortune) · la īnfēlīx (not favored by fortune) · it sfortunato (not favored by fortune) · it sventurato (not favored by fortune) · de unglückselig (not favored by fortune) · pt infeliz (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · ca desafortunat (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · grc δυστυχής (not favored by fortune) · hy ձախորդ (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · fi onnistumaton (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · ga aimseach (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · ia infortunate (not favored by fortune) · mr दुर्दैवी (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · gl desafortunado (not favored by fortune) · ja 不幸 (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · fi onneton (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · oc malastrugat (not favored by fortune) · pl fatalny (not favored by fortune) · hy դժբախտ (not favored by fortune) · hy ձախորդ (not favored by fortune) · hy դժբախտ (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · el ατυχέστατος (not favored by fortune) · fr malencontreux (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · ml ദൗർഭാഗ്യം (not favored by fortune) · tr talihsiz (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · ru несчастли́вый (not favored by fortune) · pt infeliz (not favored by fortune) · it sfortunato (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · ota وارون (not favored by fortune) · fi epäonninen (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · it iellato (not favored by fortune) · it disgraziato (not favored by fortune) · fi epäonninen (not favored by fortune) · da ulykkelig (not favored by fortune) · vi đáng tiếc (not favored by fortune) · pdt schod (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · ga mí-ámharach (not favored by fortune) · sip ཇུས་ཉེས (not favored by fortune) · bg неудачен (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · oc desfortunat (not favored by fortune) · hi अभागा (not favored by fortune) · cmn 不幸 (not favored by fortune) · fi onneton (not favored by fortune) · ckb نەگبەت (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · it scalognato (not favored by fortune) · tr uğursuz (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · da uheldig (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) · nl onfortuinlijk (not favored by fortune) · ca desafortunat (not favored by fortune) · it sfigato (not favored by fortune) · da uheldig (not favored by fortune) · es desafortunado (marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune)

unfortunate en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nət/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ʌnˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nət/ General American, weak vowel merger
  • /ʌnˈfɔɹt͡ʃ.nət/ General American, weak vowel merger
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ʌnˈfɔɹt͡ʃ.nɪt/ (Canada, General-American)
  • /ʌnˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nɪt/ (Canada, General-American)

Etymology

From un- + fortunate, doublet of infortunate.

Meanings

  1. An unlucky person; one who has fallen into bad circumstances.
    • Of those adults who used the trains every day, about half now travel daily by bus, [...] one unfortunate is reported to be walking to and from his employment. 1960 February 14, “Talking of Trains: Moretonhampstead - a p.s.”, in Trains Illustrated, page 73:
    • Unlike the unfortunates aboard the Triumph, we viewers are in and out of the situation in under an hour and feel like we have had quite a lot of fun in the process. 2026 June 24, Lucy Mangan, “Poop Cruise review – a fascinating look at a toilet disaster that still haunts passengers 12 years later”, in The Guardian:
  2. (archaic, euphemistic) A prostitute.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
unfortunates Number=Plur lexicographic

Translations (8)

ota بختسز (unlucky person) · ga créatúr (unlucky person) · ota قوتسز (unlucky person) · cs nešťastník (unlucky person) · ga ainniseoir (unlucky person) · mk не́среќник (unlucky person) · ga donán (unlucky person) · bg нещастник (unlucky person)