misfortunes

IPA/ˌmɪsˈfɔː.tʃuːn/
KK[mɪsfˈɔrtʃənz]IPA/ˌmɪsˈfɔːr.tʃən/

misfortunes — noun

  • misfortunessingular
  • misfortunesesplural

1. something bad that happens to you and brings loss, difficulty, or sadness, espec

1.nounB1
Definition

something bad that happens to you and brings loss, difficulty, or sadness, especially when it is caused by bad luck rather than by your own actions — for example, losing your job, having an accident, or having your home damaged by a storm.

Example

After losing his job, Tariq suffered another misfortune when his car broke down on the highway.

suffer misfortune — common verb + noun collocation

Marta's small bakery survived many misfortunes, from a flood to a broken delivery truck.

Common collocations
  • suffer misfortune
  • a series of misfortunes
  • misfortune strikes
  • by misfortune
  • financial misfortune
  • personal misfortune
  • misfortune befalls someone
  • a string of misfortunes
Synonyms
  • bad luck

    more general and less formal; refers to the abstract concept rather than specific events

  • adversity

    more formal and suggests long-term hardship rather than isolated unlucky events

  • hardship

    focuses on the difficulty experienced rather than the unlucky cause

  • setback

    a specific event that delays or reverses progress; milder than misfortune

Antonyms
  • fortune

    good luck or a lucky outcome; the direct opposite of misfortune

  • blessing

    something good that happens, often seen as a gift from fate or God

  • good luck

    the abstract state of having positive outcomes; everyday opposite

Grammar Patterns

suffer + misfortunes

a series of + misfortunes

by + misfortune (adverbial phrase)

Usage Note

Commonly used in the plural form (misfortunes) to describe a series of bad events. As an uncountable noun it refers to the general state of bad luck ('Misfortune seemed to follow them everywhere').

Common Mistakes

What a misfortune weather!
What terrible weather!
misfortune cannot describe the weather or other concrete things directly; use an adjective like 'bad' or 'terrible' instead.
I have a misfortune to tell you.
I have some bad news to tell you.
'misfortune' is not used to introduce news; 'bad news' is the natural choice.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe difficult circumstances, but they differ in scope and connotation. 'Bad luck' is the most general and least formal — you might say 'I had some bad luck today' in casual conversation, while 'misfortune' feels slightly more serious and literary. 'Adversity' suggests a long period of struggle against challenging conditions, not a single unlucky event; it appears more often in formal or inspirational writing ('She overcame great adversity'). 'Hardship' focuses on the suffering and difficulty itself rather than the cause — you can experience hardship because of poverty, illness, or war, not necessarily bad luck. 'Setback' is the mildest of the four: it means a temporary delay or obstacle, like a project being postponed, and does not imply lasting harm. For example: losing a job is a misfortune or a setback; growing up in poverty is a hardship; facing discrimination throughout your career is adversity.

bad luck ↗adversity ↗hardship ↗setback ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • series of misfortunes
  • string of misfortunes
  • tale of misfortune

Phrases

  • suffer misfortune
  • experience misfortune
  • misfortune befalls someone

Prepositions

  • by misfortune
  • through misfortune

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'misfortune' is formed from the prefix 'mis-' (meaning 'bad' or 'wrong') and 'fortune' (meaning 'luck' or 'chance'). It entered English from Old French 'mesfortune' around the 14th century, following the pattern of similar words like 'mischance'. The Latin root 'fortuna' originally referred to the Roman goddess of luck and chance, from whom the word 'fortune' derives.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a