HARD-LUCK Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

hard-luck

adjective

ˈhärd-ˌlək

Definition of hard-luck

as in unfortunate

having, prone to, or marked by bad luck a hard-luck ball club that never could get the breaks it needed

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hard-luck Fox closed with four birdies over his last six holes — and one bogey that felt equally important — for a 2-under 68 and a one-shot victory over hard-luck Cameron Young for his first major title. — Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026 All the usual fun Indy stuff is here – Nazis, treasured artifacts – though the bantering chemistry between Ford's hard-luck hero and Sean Connery as his grumpy dad is off-the-hook spectacular. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 June 2026 For The Times) Boosted by a massive influx of cash from rental giant Airbnb, some of McKinney’s ads played up his hard-luck upbringing in one of New Jersey’s most violent cities. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026 Both her audition and her callback had fallen flat, but the company must have figured that casting an amateur from hard-luck Butte as Lucetta would make good press. — Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard-luck

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-luck

Adjective

Neighbors shocked about stabbing Neighbors say Thomas was known to have mental health issues and called the stabbing unfortunate.

— Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
To make matters worse, India’s Supreme Court, another vital democratic institution, has also played an unfortunate role in this train of events.

— Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of unfortunate

Adjective

During these walking meditations my notebook starts to feel suspiciously similar to the luckless young climber’s selfie camera.

— Brian Laidlaw, Longreads, 1 Sep. 2026
This year, the final was between Kerry, historically the sport’s most successful side, and Mayo, one of Ireland’s smaller counties by population and, in football terms, the most luckless.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Definition of luckless

Adjective

The Longhorns were up 17-3 after Ryan Niblett returned a punt for a touchdown to give the Horns a two-score lead midway through the second quarter while their opponent, the Florida Gators, looked hapless.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Fooling hapless web surfers into giving away their credentials by faking secure websites is easy, by comparison.

— Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of hapless

Adjective

But real power, particularly in numbers, can make things happen or stop really disastrous things from happening.

— Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
The 46-year-old was dismissed from the Mets halfway through the 2026 season after a disastrous start, which included a 12-game losing streak in April.

— Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of disastrous

Browse Nearby Words

hard-line

hard-luck

hardly

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“Hard-luck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-luck. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hard-luck

adjective

Example Sentences

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