misfortune
noun
mis·for·tune
ˌmis-ˈfȯr-chən 
1
a
: an event or conjunction of events that causes an unfortunate or distressing result : bad luck
by misfortune he fell into bad company
had the misfortune to break his leg
b
: an unhappy situation
always ready to help people in misfortune
2
: a distressing or unfortunate incident or event
misfortunes never come singly
Examples of misfortune in a Sentence
a victim of economic misfortune
She endured her misfortune without complaint.
It was my misfortune to be chosen first.
Her injury was a great misfortune.
He blamed the party's misfortunes on poor leadership.
Recent Examples on the Web
What horrible family misfortune has Ingelsby cooked up this time?
—
Megan McCluskey, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
And yet the Dolphins have found a way to remain masters of mediocrity, prolonging the NFL’s longest playoff win drought with a combination of misfortune and missteps.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Even the movie Practical Magic portrays it as a sign of misfortune.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 5 Sep. 2025
Savannah Guthrie had the misfortune of learning this in a very public forum — live on Today — this week.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfortune
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Megan McCluskey, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
And yet the Dolphins have found a way to remain masters of mediocrity, prolonging the NFL’s longest playoff win drought with a combination of misfortune and missteps.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Even the movie Practical Magic portrays it as a sign of misfortune.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 5 Sep. 2025
Savannah Guthrie had the misfortune of learning this in a very public forum — live on Today — this week.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfortune
Cite this Entry
“Misfortune.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misfortune. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
misfortune
noun
mis·for·tune
(ˈ)mis-ˈfȯr-chən
1
: bad luck especially for a long period of time
2
: an unfortunate condition or event : disaster
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