What does unlucky mean?
Unlucky describes a person, event, or situation affected by bad luck or misfortune. The word can point to a recurring condition, as in an unlucky person, or to one unfortunate incident, as in an unlucky accident or coincidence. It is often softer than stronger terms such as tragic or disastrous, while still conveying that a result was shaped by adverse chance rather than deliberate intention. In British and American English, unlucky can refer both to something that brings bad luck and to something that results from it: a person may be called unlucky, or an event may be described as unlucky. The adverb unluckily is also common, especially in expressions such as “unluckily injured.” Together with the contrasting lucky, unlucky provides a simple and useful way to discuss fortune, chance, and unfortunate outcomes in ordinary speech.
adjectiveUnlucky means having or experiencing bad luck. It describes a person, event, or outcome marked by misfortune or an unfortunate circumstance.
- Affected by or subject to bad luck.
- Unfortunate or marked by misfortune.
"The team suffered an unlucky defeat after a series of avoidable mistakes."
"We were unlucky enough to miss the last train."
"Losing the final point in that way was an unlucky accident."
With the prefix un- attached to lucky, unlucky has meant “not lucky” since the late 16th century—a simple construction for describing the broad experience of misfortune.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unlucky come from?
The adjective was formed in late 16th-century English by attaching the negative prefix un- to lucky, meaning “not lucky.” The element luck comes from an older English word with Germanic roots meaning chance or fortune; related forms include Dutch geluk and German Glück, both meaning “luck.” The same negative-prefix pattern appears in words such as Dutch ongelukkig and German unglücklich, although these are separate developments rather than inflections of the English word.
Related word forms
How unlucky is actually used
Unlucky is standard in everyday British and American English. It can describe a person who is repeatedly affected by bad luck, a single unfortunate event, or an outcome resulting from chance; “unlucky” is generally less severe than “tragic” and less formal than “ill-fated.”