Synonyms for misfortune
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Adversity — an instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident
adversity, misadventure, calamity, mishap, hardship, sorrow, affliction, accident, disaster, distress, catastrophe, blow, casualty, unhappiness, sadness, stroke, tribulation, mischance, reverse, unfortunateness, disadventure dated
2. Ill luck
ill luck, bad luck, misery, trouble, tough luck, ill, harm, evil, mischief, visitation, trial
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
An instance of bad luck, an undesirable event such as an accident.
She had to come to terms with a number of misfortunes.
- n. 2
Synonym of bad luck.
The worst tour I have ever had the misfortune to experience.
Related words
- Word family
- misfortunate
Forms
- Plural
- misfortunes → adversities, misadventures, calamities, mishaps…
Choose the right word
Misfortune ordinarily suggests less of suddenness and violence than calamity or disaster, and is especially applied to that which is lingering or enduring in its effects. Yet such an event, if not a calamity to the race, will always involve much individual disaster and misfortune.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- adversity We stand firm in the face of adversity, unwavering.
- calamity The anticipation is always worse than the calamity.
- mishap I broke my leg in two places during a skiing mishap.
- misadventure We experienced the same misadventure!
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| misfortune | steady | |
| adversity | rising | |
| calamity | steady | |
| mishap | steady | |
| misadventure | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- ill1
- 4 letters
- evil2, blow1, harm1
- 5 letters
- cross1, trial2
- 6 letters
- stroke1, misery3, sorrow2, mishap2
- 7 letters
- trouble2, reverse2, sadness2, scourge1
- 8 letters
- accident3, disaster3, distress2, hardship2, casualty4, mischief2, calamity4
- 9 letters
- adversity4, mischance
- 10 letters
- visitation4, affliction3, infelicity
- 11 letters
- catastrophe4, unhappiness4, tribulation4
- 12 letters
- misadventure4, disadventure
- 15 letters
- unfortunateness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (evil2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- infortune