noun

misfortune

misfortune, bad luck, adversity

He had the misfortune to lose his job.

He had the misfortune to lose his job.

She suffered a series of misfortunes last year.

She suffered a series of misfortunes last year.

((to have the misfortune to do sth.)) to be unlucky enough to do sth. He had the misfortune to be injured in the first game.

((a series of misfortunes)) a number of unlucky events in a row She has overcome a series of misfortunes.

Synonyms: bad luck, adversity, hardship; Antonyms: good fortune, luck

From the prefix 'mis-' (bad) and 'fortune' (luck), literally meaning 'bad luck'.

Think of it as 'missing your fortune', which leads to bad luck.

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