Dictionary

unfortunately en · ADV

Pronunciation

• /ʌnˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nɪt.li/ (General-American)
• [ʌnˈfɔɹt͡ʃ.nəʔ.li] General American, weak vowel merger
• /ʌnˈfɔɹt͡ʃ.nɪt.li/ (General-American)
• /ʌnˈfɔɹt͡ʃ.nət.li/ General American, weak vowel merger
• /ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nət.li/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ʌnˈfɔː.tjʊ.nət.li/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ʌnˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nət.li/ General American, weak vowel merger
• [ʌnˈfɔɹt͡ʃ.nɪʔ.li] (General-American)

Etymology

From unfortunate + -ly or un- + fortunately.

Meanings

1. Happening through bad luck, or because of some unfortunate event.
   • He unfortunately placed his hand on a loose brick.
   • There were an unfortunately large number of misprints.
2. Used (as a parenthetical word, often a sentence adverb) to express disappointment, compassion, sorrow, regret, or grief.
   • Informal techniques, if properly written, can be quite readable and comprehensible; unfortunately, it is easy to leave unsaid details that must be specified, or to misgeneralise and produce inconsistencies. 1989, Hendrik J. Boom, Claus Bendix Nielsen, Andrew D. McGettrick, Peter D. Mosses, Charles Rattray, Robert D. Tennent, David A. Watt, “A view of formal semantics”, in Computer standards & Interfaces, volume 9, number 1:
   • Unfortunately, even in the palmiest days of the old Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith Railway Company, passengers were few and far between at Troutbeck, and since the advent of the motor bus road services they are rarer than ever, and never likely to increase. 1951 October, “Notes and News: The Harmonium at Troutbeck”, in Railway Magazine, page 709:
   • The houses which burned down could have been saved. Unfortunately, the fire truck had broken down on the way.
   • Unfortunately, the uproar awoke Mr. Jones, who sprang out of bed, making sure that there was a fox in the yard. 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC:
   • Do we know how kinky practices began? Do we know who the first kinky people were? Well, no. How about the first kinky sex device? Or the first person to enjoy a good spanking? Unfortunately, no again. 2005, Annabelle du Fouet, “The murky world from whence it all came” (chapter 2), in Weather Balloons Make Rotten Sex Toys, Ellora's Cave, →ISBN, page 32:
   • The thing he unfortunately doesn't recognise is there is an 800-pound gorilla when it comes to major American motor sports. The 800-pound gorilla is Nascar. 2014 February 26, Eddie Gossage, quotee, “Bernie Ecclestone dismisses Nascar objection to US Grand Prix date clash”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 07 Mar 2014:

Forms

Antonyms

luckily (antonym(s) of “through bad luck”) · fortunately (antonym(s) of “through bad luck”)

Synonyms

regrettably (parenthetical word) · unluckily (through bad luck) · sadly (parenthetical word) · alas (parenthetical word) · sad to say (parenthetical word)

Translations (117)

eo bedaŭrinde (happening through bad luck) · vi tiếc là (happening through bad luck) · ajp للأسف (happening through bad luck) · tr maalesef (happening through bad luck) · tr ne yazık ki (happening through bad luck) · ro din nefericire (happening through bad luck) · ka საუბედუროდ (happening through bad luck) · it purtroppo (happening through bad luck) · ko 불행하게도 (happening through bad luck) · uk на жа́ль (happening through bad luck) · eo malfeliĉe (happening through bad luck) · fr malheureusement (happening through bad luck) · hu sajnos (happening through bad luck) · oc malaürosament (happening through bad luck) · ru к несча́стью (happening through bad luck) · nb uheldigvis (happening through bad luck) · ckb بەداخەوە (happening through bad luck) · fr malencontreusement (happening through bad luck) · es desafortunadamente (happening through bad luck) · nn uheldigvis (happening through bad luck) · cs bohužel (happening through bad luck) · de leider (happening through bad luck) · ja 生憎 (happening through bad luck) · ur بَد قِسْمَتی سے (happening through bad luck) · hy դժբախտաբար (happening through bad luck) · it sfortunatamente (happening through bad luck) · mt sfortunatament (happening through bad luck) · gun teve (happening through bad luck) · ovd dyöswerra (happening through bad luck) · mk за жал (happening through bad luck) · ca desgraciadament (happening through bad luck) · cy yn anffodus (happening through bad luck) · tl sa kasamaang-palad (happening through bad luck) · nb beklageligvis (happening through bad luck) · rsk нажаль (happening through bad luck) · es desgraciadamente (happening through bad luck) · fi harmillista kyllä (happening through bad luck) · rm displaschaivlamain (happening through bad luck) · tr heyhat ki (happening through bad luck) · es por desgracia (happening through bad luck) · ru к сожале́нию (happening through bad luck) · nb dessverre (happening through bad luck) · ca malauradament (happening through bad luck) · id sayangnya (happening through bad luck) · ar لِسُوءِ الْحَظِّ (happening through bad luck) · sv dessvärre (happening through bad luck) · rm deplorablamain (happening through bad luck) · sl na žalost (happening through bad luck) · fo tíverri (happening through bad luck) · sv tyvärr (happening through bad luck) · tr maatteessüf (happening through bad luck) · gl desafortunadamente (happening through bad luck) · arz للأسف (happening through bad luck) · uz afsuski (happening through bad luck) · cmn 不巧 (happening through bad luck) · nl helaas (happening through bad luck) · lv par nelaimi (happening through bad luck) · az təəssüf ki (happening through bad luck) · el δυστυχώς (happening through bad luck) · he לְמַרְבֵּה הַצַּעַר לְצַעֲר־ (happening through bad luck) · cmn 遺憾的是 /遗憾的是 (happening through bad luck) · ar لِلْأَسَف (happening through bad luck) · fa-ira بَدْبَخْتانِه (happening through bad luck) · la improsperē (happening through bad luck) · de unglücklicherweise (happening through bad luck) · hsb nažel (happening through bad luck) · cmn 可惜 (happening through bad luck) · rue жаль (happening through bad luck) · hsb bohužel (happening through bad luck) · lb leider (happening through bad luck) · it malauguratamente (happening through bad luck) · tl sa kasawiang-palad (happening through bad luck) · ro din păcate (happening through bad luck) · tr yazık ki (happening through bad luck) · sh nȁžalōst (happening through bad luck) · pt infelizmente (happening through bad luck) · nl spijtig genoeg (happening through bad luck) · hi दुर्भाग्य से (happening through bad luck) · kmr mixabin (happening through bad luck) · vi tiếc rằng (happening through bad luck) · da desværre (happening through bad luck) · nn dessverre (happening through bad luck) · lt deja (happening through bad luck) · ny mwatsoka (happening through bad luck) · fi valitettavasti (happening through bad luck) · fi ikävä kyllä (happening through bad luck) · kl ajoraluartumik (happening through bad luck) · bg за жа́лост (happening through bad luck) · la infeliciter (happening through bad luck) · ka სამწუხაროდ (happening through bad luck) · et kahjuks (happening through bad luck) · pl niestety (happening through bad luck) · pdt leida (happening through bad luck) · es infortunadamente (happening through bad luck) · nl jammer genoeg (happening through bad luck) · de bedauerlicherweise (happening through bad luck) · sk bohužiaľ (happening through bad luck) · vo neläbo (happening through bad luck) · rsk на нєщесце (happening through bad luck) · ca malastrugament (happening through bad luck) · io regretinde (happening through bad luck) · es lamentablemente (happening through bad luck) · ja 残念ながら (happening through bad luck) · zza çı heyfo ki (happening through bad luck) · hi दुर्भाग्यवश (happening through bad luck) · da uheldigvis (happening through bad luck) · ca dissortadament (happening through bad luck) · ko 유감스럽게도 (happening through bad luck) · sh на̏жало̄ст (happening through bad luck) · sv olyckligtvis (happening through bad luck) · fa-ira مُتَأَسِّفانِه (happening through bad luck) · ba ҡыҙғанысҡа ҡаршы (happening through bad luck) · lv diemžēl (happening through bad luck) · se dađibahábut (happening through bad luck) · cmn 不幸的 (happening through bad luck) · be на жа́ль (happening through bad luck) · is því miður (happening through bad luck)