misfortune
word
/mɪsˈfɔɹtʃən/
mis-FOR-chuhn
/mɪsfˈɔːtʃuːn/
mis-FAW-choon
Definition
Bad luck or an unlucky event; something unpleasant or harmful that happens by chance.
Usage & Nuances
"Misfortune" is formal and often used in writing. It usually refers to significant bad luck or negative events. Common collocations: "suffer misfortune," "a stroke of misfortune," "fall into misfortune." It's less emotional than "tragedy" and more formal than "bad luck."
Spanish: desgracia - infortunioPortuguese (BR): infortúnio - azar - desgraçaPortuguese (PT): infortúnio - azar - desgraçaChinese (Simplified): 不幸 - 厄运Chinese (Traditional): 不幸 - 厄運Hindi: दुर्भाग्य - विपत्तिArabic: سوء الحظّ - مصيبةBengali: দুর্ভাগ্য - অশুভ ঘটনাRussian: невезение - несчастьеJapanese: 不運（ふうん） - 災難（さいなん）Vietnamese: bất hạnh - rủi roKorean: 불운 - 불행Turkish: talihsizlik - kötü şansUrdu: بدقسمتی - ناگہانی آفتIndonesian: kemalangan - nasib buruk
Example Sentences
After losing her job, she suffered great misfortune.
basic
The family showed courage despite their misfortune.
basic
They blamed their problems on misfortune.
basic
He's had his share of misfortune, but he always bounces back.
natural
It was pure misfortune that their flight got canceled twice.
natural
Don't let a little misfortune bring you down—everyone faces tough times.
natural