Meanings
nounmisfortune (countable and uncountable, plural misfortunes)
plural misfortunes
- uncountableSynonym of bad luck.
The worst tour I have ever had the misfortune to experience.
2 more examples
Cycling's complex etiquette contains an unwritten rule that riders in contention for a race win should not be penalised for sheer misfortune.
2012 July 15, Richard Williams, “Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track”, in in Guardian UnlimitedIt was my fortune, or misfortune, to be called to the office of Chief Executive without any previous political training.
1876, Ulysses S. Grant, Annual MessageSynonyms: bad luck
- countableAn instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident.
(obsolete)
2 more examples
She had to come to terms with a number of misfortunes.
The snowstorm, which was the cause of their misfortune, happened in the middle of January, corresponding to our July, and in the latitude of Durham!
1839, Charles Robert Darwin, “Chapter X”, in The Voyage of the BeagleSynonyms: adversity, mishap, misadventure, disadventure · Antonyms: fortuity
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of bad luck.
Similar
nounAn instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident.
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
noununnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
Similar
Broader
nounan unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes
Similar
Opposite
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*mey-?
- Proto-Indo-European*meyth₂-
- Proto-Germanic*missaz
- Proto-Germanic*missa-
- Proto-West Germanic*missa-
- Old Englishmis-
- Middle Englishmys-
- Englishmis-
- Englishfortune
- Englishmisfortune
Translations
Ancient Greek συμφορά, δυστύχημα
- συμφορά (sumphorá)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- δυστύχημα (dustúkhēma)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Arabic مُصِيبَة, شَقْوَة
- مُصِيبَة (muṣība)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- شَقْوَة (šaqwa)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Bulgarian неща́стие
- неща́стие (neštástie)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Catalan infortuni, desgràcia
- infortunian instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- desgràciaan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Chinese Mandarin 不幸, 禍 /祸
- 不幸 (bùxìng)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- 禍 /祸 (huò)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Danish ulykke
- ulykkean instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Dutch tegenslag
- tegenslagan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Finnish onnettomuus, vahinko
- onnettomuusan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- vahinkoan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- tapaturmaan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
French mésaventure, malheur
- mésaventurean instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- malheuran instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
German Unglück, Unfall
- Unglückan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- Unfallan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- Unheilan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- Mißgeschickan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- Missgeschickan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Greek ατυχία, κακοτυχία
- ατυχία (atychía)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- κακοτυχία (kakotychía)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- δυστυχία (dystychía)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Hindi अभाग्य
- अभाग्य (abhāgya)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Hungarian csapás, szerencsétlenség
- csapásan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- szerencsétlenségan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Irish amaróid, anachain
- amaróidan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- anachainan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- tubaistean instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Italian disgrazia
- disgraziaan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Japanese 不幸, 災い
- 不幸 (fukō)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- 災い (wazawai)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Korean 불운, 불행
- 불운 (burun)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- 불행 (bulhaeng)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Latin calamitas, clades
- calamitasan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- cladesan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- aerummaan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- adversaan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Latvian bēda
- bēdaan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Māori maiki, maikiroa
- maikian instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- maikiroaan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Norwegian Bokmål ulykke
- ulykkean instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Polish nieszczęście, niepowodzenie
- nieszczęściean instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- niepowodzeniean instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Portuguese desgraça, infortúnio
- desgraçaan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- infortúnioan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- adversidadean instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- desventuraan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Romanian pățeală, pățanie
- pățealăan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- pățaniean instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- nenorocirean instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Russian несча́стье, беда́
- несча́стье (nesčástʹje)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- беда́ (bedá)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- злоключе́ние (zloključénije)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Spanish desgracia, infortunio
- desgraciaan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- infortunioan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- desventuraan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- adversidadan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Swedish olycka
- olyckaan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Tagalog kasawiang-palad
- kasawiang-paladan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Ukrainian неща́стя, біда́
- неща́стя (neščástja)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- біда́ (bidá)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Urdu نحوست
- نحوست (nahūsat)an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Vietnamese nạn
- nạnan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Welsh anffawd, anap
- anffawdan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
- anapan instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
Cite this entry
APA
misfortune. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/misfortune
MLA
“misfortune.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/misfortune. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “misfortune,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/misfortune.
Source: misfortune on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.