unlucky

adjective

un·​lucky ˌən-ˈlə-kē How to pronounce unlucky (audio)
1
: marked by adversity or failure
an unlucky year
2
: likely to bring misfortune : inauspicious
an unlucky number
3
: having or meeting with misfortune
unlucky people
4
: producing dissatisfaction : regrettable
unluckiness noun

Examples of unlucky in a Sentence

She was unlucky enough to get a flat tire on the way to her job interview. Some people think that 13 is an unlucky number. He thinks it's unlucky to have a black cat cross your path.
Recent Examples on the Web Everyone should be wearing blue, not green Blue was actually the color that was most associated with Patrick and green was considered unlucky. Diane J. Cho, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Leap years are also considered generally unlucky in Italy and Scotland. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 29 Feb. 2024 Instead, the Bayern bench boss simply believed his side was somewhat unlucky not to win the game. Manuel Veth, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 Some unlucky drivers were stuck on the side of Interstate 64 while a steady rain poured on the Louisville metro area Wednesday morning. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 24 Jan. 2024 An unlucky 19-year-old bystander was at a car wash a quarter-mile from the scene when a piece of debris hit him in the head, officials said. Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024 That unlucky sojourner happens to be the one person here that otherwise pitiless Adem cannot bear losing. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 5 Feb. 2024 Mike White's series about privileged vacationers descending on a gorgeous but unlucky locale is predominantly spoken of for Jennifer Coolidge's involvement, but it must be said that each season is one of the finest ensemble drama/comedy/mystery mash-ups in recent memory. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 7 Nov. 2023 Some will either live or stay overnight in one of these four unlucky cities and make a plan to drive north to enjoy a long totality in eastern and central Ohio. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unlucky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unlucky was circa 1530

Dictionary Entries Near unlucky

Cite this Entry

“Unlucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unlucky. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unlucky

adjective
un·​lucky ˌən-ˈlək-ē How to pronounce unlucky (audio)
ˈən-
1
: marked by bad luck or failure
an unlucky day
2
: likely to bring misfortune
an unlucky number
3
: having or meeting with misfortune
unlucky people
4
: causing distress or regret
unluckily
-ˈlək-ə-lē
adverb
unluckiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unlucky

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