unfortunateadjective
uk/ʌnˈfɔː.tʃən.ət/us/ʌnˈfɔːr.tʃən.ət/unfortunate adjective (UNLUCKY)
B2 unlucky or having bad effects:
She has inherited her father's large nose, which is very unfortunate.
[ + (that) ] It was unfortunate (that) he called at the exact moment when our guests were arriving.
More examples
- There's nothing anybody can do about it, it's just unfortunate that this had to happen now.
- It was a very unfortunate accident/incident.
- It's unfortunate that his parents can't be there to see him perform.
- She has a very unfortunate resemblance to her rather unattractive mother.
- It's unfortunate that he seems to have inherited his father's poor vision.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Good luck and bad luck
- a blessing in disguise idiom
- bad/hard/tough luck! idiom
- be a good idiom
- be bad luck on sb idiom
- be down on your luck idiom
- blessing
- favour
- godsend
- grace
- hapless
- happenstance
- happily
- lap
- misadventure
- mischance
- misfortune
- mishap
- mixed blessing
- shame
- stroke
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unfortunate adjective (NOT SUITABLE)
formal (of remarks or behaviour) not suitable in a way that could cause embarrassment or offence:
The housing director's comment that "the homeless could do more to help themselves" was unfortunate.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Unsuitable and unacceptable
- amiss
- beneath your dignity idiom
- beyond
- beyond the pale idiom
- delegitimize
- grain
- improper
- inapt
- incorrect
- indecent
- ineligible
- infelicitous
- not cricket idiom
- offend
- offend against sth
- raffish
- room
- square peg (in a round hole) idiom
- unfit
- vulgar
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unfortunatenoun [ C ]
uk/ʌnˈfɔː.tʃən.ət/us/ʌnˈfɔːr.tʃən.ət/formal or humorousan unlucky person who is in a bad situation:
He was one of the poor unfortunates who invested in the company and now finds himself a few thousand pounds poorer.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Good luck and bad luck
- a blessing in disguise idiom
- bad/hard/tough luck! idiom
- be a good idiom
- be bad luck on sb idiom
- be down on your luck idiom
- blessing
- favour
- godsend
- grace
- hapless
- happenstance
- happily
- lap
- misadventure
- mischance
- misfortune
- mishap
- mixed blessing
- shame
- stroke
See more results »