[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/misfortune/)

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# misfortune

noun (a misfortune, misfortunes; also uncountable)

«misfortune» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Misfortune is bad luck. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misfortune/#m1)
2. A misfortune is an unlucky or bad event that happens to someone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misfortune/#m2)

### In the lessons

In stories: characters suffer misfortune and then things improve. In formal speech: "I had the misfortune to break my leg." Phrases: have the misfortune to, suffer misfortune, a series of misfortunes.

### Examples

- The farmer had the misfortune of losing his crops in a flood. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misfortune/#x1)
- The story tells of a boy's many misfortunes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misfortune/#x2)
- It was a misfortune that the bus broke down. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misfortune/#x3)
- Don't laugh at other people's misfortune. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misfortune/#x4)
- She bore her misfortune bravely. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misfortune/#x5)
- One misfortune followed another on the trip. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misfortune/#x6)
- Learn from the misfortunes of others. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misfortune/#x7)

### Note

Opposite: fortune, good luck. "Mis-" means bad or wrong. Formal word; in everyday talk say "bad luck". Countable for single events, uncountable for bad luck in general.

## In Jewish tradition

Here it means disaster or evil as a result of wickedness, in contrast with the hope of the righteous.

**Interpretation.** Proverbs is read as teaching that the righteous keep hope in God even at the edge of death, which tradition links to belief in reward beyond this life.

### Examples

- The wicked is thrust down in his misfortune; but the righteous, even when he is brought to death, hath hope. (Writings PRO.14.32, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/misfortune/#x1)

### Note

Opposite: fortune, good luck. "Mis-" means bad or wrong. Formal word; in everyday talk say "bad luck". Countable for single events, uncountable for bad luck in general.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «misfortune» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/misfortune/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«misfortune» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/misfortune.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «misfortune» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/misfortune/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«misfortune» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/misfortune.html) on Mova free.