Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Unfortunately |
UnfortunatelyAdverb1. By bad luck; "unfortunately it rained all day"; "alas, I cannot stay". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "unfortunately" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1350. (references) |
Synonyms: UnfortunatelySynonyms: alas (adv), regrettably (adv), unluckily (adv). (additional references) |
| Antonym: fortunately (adv). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Regret | Adverb: regrettably, unfortunately; most unfortunately. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Unfortunately |
| English words defined with "unfortunately": carelessly ♦ Homicide by misadventure ♦ incautiously ♦ Mistide ♦ To go wrong. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "unfortunately": address harvester, ANSI ♦ B1FF ♦ computability theory, Corpse ♦ device independent bitmap ♦ Enhanced Small Disk Interface ♦ fontology ♦ Glass, Gravel ♦ Luser Attitude Re-adjustment Tool ♦ memory leak ♦ Nominal Semidestructor, Nonsampling error ♦ obsessed, OS and JEDGAR ♦ Pacify, Pen, Penitentiary, plug-and-pray, Pocketbook, Poinard, protected mode ♦ Real Programmers Don't Use Pascal, Resign, Rival ♦ serial, Sheet Iron, sporgery ♦ Want, Wedlock ♦ ZANZIBARI, Zilog Z8000. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | I wish the world was a place where fair was the bottom line, where the kind of idealism you showed at the hearing was rewarded, not taken advantage of. Unfortunately, we don't live in that world (Contact; writing credit: Carl Sagan;) Well, unfortunately, Mitch (The Firm; writing credit: David Rabe) Unfortunately Mr. Hathaway and I aren't able to have children (Three Men and a Baby; writing credit: Jim Cruickshank; James Orr) Unfortunately, you won't live to tell the tale (The Hunchback of Notre Dame; writing credit: Victor Hugo; Irene Mecchi) I came here to rob you, but unfortunately I fell in love with you. (Trouble in Paradise; writing credit: Aladar Laszlo; Grover Jones) | |
Clever | Time is the best teacher; unfortunately, it kills all its students! (references; author: unknown) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve White-footed mouse - Peromyscus leucopus. This mouse is a prey species of owls - especially screech owls and barred owls. Unfortunately, this small rhodent is also an important host in the life cycle of the deer tick and the spread of Lyme disease. Credit: National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERR). |  | In: "The Meteor Expedition," by F. Spiess, German Atlantic Expedition 1925-1927. Alfred Merz, Director of the Meereskunde in Berlin and planner and organizer of the METEOR Expedition. Unfortunately he died in Buenos Aires in 1925 at the beginning of the expedition. Library Call Number C/La S755. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. |
 | Figure 7. Old valve bottle. Although this type of water sampling bottle was first invented around 1860, unfortunately the original inventor is unknown. Such a bottle was utilized on the PORCUPINE and on the BLAKE. The bottle shown here was made by Max Marx. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. |  | Measured drawing delineated by Robert G. Higginbotham, 1961. (Reproduction Number: HABS, AK,17-SITKA,1- Sheet 5 of 6) St. Michael's Cathedral, the center of the Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska, was completed in 1848. In 1942 it became the first building in Alaska measured by HABS. Unfortunately, the Cathedral was destroyed by a fire that devastated downtown Sitka on January 2, 1966. The HABS drawings served as the basis for the reconstruction of the church. In this instance, the HABS documentation was the most complete and reliable source of information on the destroyed building, thus serving as a form of protection from catastrophic loss. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Pogo]. Unfortunately this account of the Tigers an' the Red Birds never tole how the classic ende. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Some specimens of "Secesh" industry - intended for the London Exhibition of 1862, but unfortunately intercepted by the "Paper Blockade". Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Unfortunately, this is the only deadline we have in Vietnam. One more death is one too many. Write your congressman. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | There are very few persons who still think it is unimportant to balance the federal budget : unfortunately, about 400 of them are members of Congress. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Old Building Newcastle 2" by Salina Hainzl Commentary: "Please email me on whizzyhainzl@yahoo.co.nz if you are going to download my pics - would like to know whether there is anyone out there like these pics. <br>They were taken in Newcastle, NSW, Australia with my new toy Coolpix 5700. <br>It is a" | "Preston Docks" by Aaron Gardner Commentary: "I took this picture shortly after getting my first digital camera (still the one I use). The sky is unfortunately a little too over exposed, as the sun was bright and I didn't know how to counter the effects." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Peter Ustinov | Unfortunately, the balance of nature decrees that a super-abundance of dreams is paid for by a growing potential for nightmares. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Emma | Austen, Jane | Two dances, unfortunately, were all that could be allowed |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | He was busy with his great work on Duty, which unfortunately is left incomplete |
Gulliver's Travels | Swift, Jonathan | I might easily have stifled it with my coat, which I unfortunately left behind me for haste, and came away only in my leathern jerkin |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | Unfortunately, I am confined to this theme by the narrowness of my experience |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | So far, unfortunately, they have shown limited success, possibly because they have not been given soon enough after the onset of stroke. (references) | |
About 10 to 20 percent of those with torticollis experience a spontaneous remission, but unfortunately the remission may not be lasting. (references) | ||
Unfortunately a satisfactory fistula cannot be established in many patients, because of inadequate vessels (especially in diabetic patients). (references) | ||
Business | Although air pollution has made great improvements in recent years, unfortunately, reality does not reflect what's on paper. (references) | |
This Decision took effect in Colombia on January 1, 1994. Unfortunately, it fails to address procedures for enforcing intellectual property rights. (references) | ||
Investment Opportunities in Geriatric/Nursing Home Facilities and Services Unfortunately, in this dispersed market, quality care for the elderly is not commonplace. (references) | ||
Economic History | Tanzania | Tanzania's reputation for poor infrastructure is unfortunately accurate. (references) |
Australia | However, four years into a deregulated electricity market has unfortunately led to blackouts, shortages and higher prices. (references) | |
Mexico | The state's name means "hot water", but, unfortunately, water is a very scarce resource and the state government is placing high priority on its management. (references) | |
Trade | Germany | Poultry: Unfortunately U.S. and EU negotiators were not able to reach agreement on a number of important points during the veterinary equivalency negotiations, particularly in the poultry sector. (references) |
Travel | Cote D'ivoire | While the Port of Abidjan is one of the most modern in West Africa, it is, unfortunately, not one of the most productive. (references) |
Sweden | There is an anecdote that concludes the Swedish worker is the most efficient in the world, unfortunately he only works 8 months a year. (references) | |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | SERIAL, n. A literary work, usually a story that is not true, creeping through several issues of a newspaper or magazine. Frequently appended to each installment is a "synposis of preceding chapters" for those who have not read them, but a direr need is a synposis of succeeding chapters for those who do not intend to read them. A synposis of the entire work would be still better. The late James F. Bowman was writing a serial tale for a weekly paper in collaboration with a genius whose name has not come down to us. They wrote, not jointly but alternately, Bowman supplying the installment for one week, his friend for the next, and so on, world without end, they hoped. Unfortunately they quarreled, and one Monday morning when Bowman read the paper to prepare himself for his task, he found his work cut out for him in a way to surprise and pain him. His collaborator had embarked every character of the narrative on a ship and sunk them all in the deepest part of the Atlantic. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Dennis Miller | But unfortunately, as our system stands, the one who always ends up shafted is the little guy, not the billionaire CEO. |
Nancy Grace | Unfortunately, as soon as the high moments of the investigation cease, the interest will be gone. The only people interested at that point will be the family and a few dedicated police officers. |
Rod Steiger | Well, unfortunately, I did what a lot of young people do. I tried to make it my life. I didn't learn until later that you can't make any profession your life. |
Walter Cronkite | I did. We had one, unfortunately, at CBS many years ago, who worked in the near Middle East and Greece, in that area, Turkey and so forth. And it turned out later that he confessed that he had been working for the government as a spy. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
George Washington | 1789-1797 | This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. |
James Monroe | 1817-1825 | The care of the Indian tribes within our limits has long been an essential part of our system, but, unfortunately, it has not been executed in a manner to accomplish all the objects intended by it. |
Andrew Jackson | 1829-1837 | Should those scenes unfortunately recur, the parties to the contest may count on a faithful performance of the duties incumbent on us as a neutral nation, and our own citizens may equally rely on the firm assertion of their neutral rights. |
Lyndon B. Johnson | 1963-1969 | In the Middle East the spirit of good will toward all, unfortunately, has not yet taken hold. |
Gerald Ford | 1974-1977 | Unfortunately, in the short term there are only a limited number of actions which can increase domestic supply. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Unfortunately" is generally used as an adverb (general) -- approximately 99.05% of the time. "Unfortunately" is used about 4,651 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adverb (general) | 99.05% | 4,607 | 2,126 |
| Noun (proper) | 0.95% | 44 | 51,500 |
| Total | 100.00% | 4,651 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expression using "unfortunately": most unfortunately. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Containing "unfortunately": kowabunga-mutant-ninja-turtle-most-unfortunately-named-clothing-company-of-the-century. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
unfortunately | 14 |
b b unforgettable unfortunately | 14 |
can matrix unfortunately | 4 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "unfortunately"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | ongelukkig (unhappy), jammer (alas, regrettably, sorry), a foei tog (alas, regrettably). (various references) | |
Albanian | fatkeqësisht. (various references) | |
Arabic | مع الأسف, للأسف (regrettably), لسوء الحظ (regrettably, unluckily). (various references) | |
Basque | zoritxarrez. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | за съжаление, за нещастие, за зла чест, за жалост. (various references) | |
Catalan | malauradament. (various references) | |
Chinese | 很遺憾 (regrettably), 不幸的是 , 不幸地 (Abjectly, Haplessly), 不幸 (adversity, misfortune, sad, unfortunate), 不巧 (as luck would have it). (various references) | |
Croatian | nažalost. (various references) | |
Czech | bohužel. (various references) | |
Danish | ulykkeligvis, lykkeligvis, desværre (alas, regrettably). (various references) | |
Dutch | jammer genoeg (alas, regrettably), jammer (alas, regrettably, that's too bad, what a pity), helaas (alas, oh dear, regrettably, that's too bad, what a pity). (various references) | |
Esperanto | malfeliĉe, malbonŝance, feliĉe, bedaŭrinde (regrettably), beda—rinde. (various references) | |
Estonian | kahjuks. (various references) | |
Faeroese | tíverri (alas, regrettably). (various references) | |
Farsi | متاسفانه , بدبختانه . (various references) | |
Finnish | valitettavasti. (various references) | |
Flemish | jammer. (various references) | |
French | malheureusement (unhappily, unluckily). (various references) | |
French Canadian | malheureusement. (various references) | |
Frisian | spitigernôch (alas, regrettably), spitich (alas, regrettably), eilaas (alas, regrettably). (various references) | |
German | leider (alas, regrettably, unhappily), bedauerlich (alas, deplorable, regrettable, regrettably, sad, unfortunate, unhappy, untoward), unglücklicherweise (accidentally, unhappily, unluckily, unsuccessful), bedauerlicherweise (regrettably, sadly). (various references) | |
Greek | δυστυχώσ (unhappily), δυστυχώς. (various references) | |
Haitian Creole | malerezman. (various references) | |
Hawaiian | fatkeqësisht. (various references) | |
Hebrew | לצערי (to my regret). (various references) | |
Hungarian | sajnos (alas, it is to be regretted that, sorry, sorry to say). (various references) | |
Icelandic | því miður (alas, regrettably), þad var synd (alas, regrettably). (various references) | |
Indonesian | sayangnya (alas), malangnya (alas). (various references) | |
Italian | purtroppo (alas, sorry), per sfortuna, per fortuna (fortunately, luckily). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 生憎 , 折り悪しく , 折り悪く , 残念な事に , 合憎 . (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | おりあしく, おりわるく, ざんねんなことに, あいにく (likes and dislikes). (various references) | |
Korean | 불운하게 (Haplessly). (various references) | |
Luxembourgish | leider. (various references) | |
Manx | dy meeaighar. (various references) | |
Norwegian | dessverre (alas, regrettably). (various references) | |
Papiamen | lamentablemente (alas, regrettably), lástimamente (alas, regrettably), felismente, desafortunadamente. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | ortunatelyunfay.(various references) | |
Polish | niestety (alas, regrettably). (various references) | |
Portuguese | infelizmente (regrettably), desgraçadamente. (various references) | |
Romanian | din pãcate (more's the pity), din nefericire. (various references) | |
Russian | к несчастью. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | nesrećno (unhappily, unluckily), nažalost (unhappily), na nesreću (unhappily, unluckily). (various references) | |
Somali | nasiibdarro. (various references) | |
Spanish | desgraciadamente (sadly), por fortuna (fortunately, happily), es una lástima (alas, regrettably, that's too bad, what a pity). (various references) | |
Sranan | eru (alas, regrettably, woe). (various references) | |
Swedish | tyvärr (alas, regrettably, that's too bad, what a pity), olyckligtvis (unhappily, unluckily). (various references) | |
Tswana | maswabi (excuse me). (various references) | |
Turkish | ne yazık ki (unhappily, unluckily), maalesef (I am sorry, sorry, unhappily, unluckily, with regret), aksi gibi. (various references) | |
Turkmen | gynansamda. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | на жаль (alas). (various references) | |
Welsh | gwaetha'r modd. (various references) | |
Xhosa | ngelishwa. (various references) | |
Zulu | ngeshwa, ngenhlanhla (fortunately). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | male, peius, pessime. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Misspellings | |
"Unfortunately" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: unfortunatelly, unfortunatelt, unfortunatley, unfortunatly, unfortuneately, unfortuneatly, unfortunetely. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "unfortunately" (pronounced unfô"rkhunutlē or unfô"rkhuwnutlē) |
| 10 | -f ô" r kh u n u t l ē | fortunately. |
| 6 | -u n u t l ē | affectionately, compassionately, definitely, dispassionately, disproportionately, indefinitely, indiscriminately, infinitely, inordinately, passionately, proportionately. |
| 5 | -n u t l ē | alternately, minutely. |
| 4 | -u t l ē | accurately, adequately, appropriately, approximately, commensurately, deliberately, delicately, desperately, elaborately, explicitly, exquisitely, illicitly, immaculately, immediately, implicitly, inaccurately, inadequately, inappropriately, intimately, intricately, legitimately, moderately, privately, quietly, secretly, separately, tacitly, ultimately. |
| 3 | -t l ē | abruptly, absolutely, abundantly, accidently, acutely, adamantly, adroitly, apparently, aptly, ardently, arrogantly, astutely, blatantly, bluntly, brightly, brilliantly, coherently, competently, complacently, completely, concomitantly, concretely, concurrently, confidently, consequently, consistently, constantly, conveniently, correctly, costly, courtly, covertly, currently, curtly, decently, defiantly, deftly, devoutly, differently, difficultly, diligently, directly, discreetly, dishonestly, jointly, justly, knightly, lastly, lately, distinctly, earnestly, efficiently, elegantly, eloquently, eminently, evidently, exactly, excellently, expertly, extravagantly, exultantly, faintly, fervently, firstly, flagrantly, flamboyantly, flatly, fluently, forthrightly, fortnightly, fraudulently, frequently, gently, ghastly, ghostly, greatly, hesitantly, honestly, hotly, imminently, impatiently, imperfectly, importantly, imprudently, inadvertently, incessantly, incoherently, incompetently, incorrectly, independently, indignantly, indirectly, inefficiently, ineptly, infrequently, inherently, innately, innocently, insistently, instantly, insufficiently, intelligently, intently, intermittently, leniently, lightly, magnificently, manifestly, militantly, modestly, mostly, motley, neatly, negligently, nightly, nonchalantly, obediently, overtly, partly, patently, patiently, perfectly, permanently, persistently, pleasantly, poignantly, politely, portly, predominantly, presently, priestly, prominently, promptly, prudently, pungently, quaintly, raptly, recently, reluctantly, remotely, resolutely, reverently, rightly, robustly, saintly, shortly, significantly, silently, slightly, smartly, softly, sprightly, stately, steadfastly, stoutly, strictly, stridently, stringently, subsequently, succinctly, sufficiently, sweetly, swiftly, tightly, transparently, triumphantly, unjustly, unpleasantly, unsightly, urgently, valiantly, vastly, vehemently, violently, virulently, Whitely. |
| 5 | -n u t l ē | affectionately, alternately, compassionately, definitely, dispassionately, disproportionately, fortunately, indefinitely, indiscriminately, infinitely, inordinately, minutely, passionately, proportionately. |
| 4 | -u t l ē | accurately, adequately, appropriately, approximately, commensurately, deliberately, delicately, desperately, elaborately, explicitly, exquisitely, illicitly, immaculately, immediately, implicitly, inaccurately, inadequately, inappropriately, intimately, intricately, legitimately, moderately, privately, quietly, secretly, separately, tacitly, ultimately. |
| 3 | -t l ē | abruptly, absolutely, abundantly, accidently, acutely, adamantly, adroitly, apparently, aptly, ardently, arrogantly, astutely, blatantly, bluntly, brightly, brilliantly, coherently, competently, complacently, completely, concomitantly, concretely, concurrently, confidently, consequently, consistently, constantly, conveniently, correctly, costly, courtly, covertly, currently, curtly, decently, defiantly, deftly, devoutly, differently, difficultly, diligently, directly, discreetly, dishonestly, jointly, justly, knightly, lastly, lately, distinctly, earnestly, efficiently, elegantly, eloquently, eminently, evidently, exactly, excellently, expertly, extravagantly, exultantly, faintly, fervently, firstly, flagrantly, flamboyantly, flatly, fluently, forthrightly, fortnightly, fraudulently, frequently, gently, ghastly, ghostly, greatly, hesitantly, honestly, hotly, imminently, impatiently, imperfectly, importantly, imprudently, inadvertently, incessantly, incoherently, incompetently, incorrectly, independently, indignantly, indirectly, inefficiently, ineptly, infrequently, inherently, innately, innocently, insistently, instantly, insufficiently, intelligently, intently, intermittently, leniently, lightly, magnificently, manifestly, militantly, modestly, mostly, motley, neatly, negligently, nightly, nonchalantly, obediently, overtly, partly, patently, patiently, perfectly, permanently, persistently, pleasantly, poignantly, politely, portly, predominantly, presently, priestly, prominently, promptly, prudently, pungently, quaintly, raptly, recently, reluctantly, remotely, resolutely, reverently, rightly, robustly, saintly, shortly, significantly, silently, slightly, smartly, softly, sprightly, stately, steadfastly, stoutly, strictly, stridently, stringently, subsequently, succinctly, sufficiently, sweetly, swiftly, tightly, transparently, triumphantly, unjustly, unpleasantly, unsightly, urgently, valiantly, vastly, vehemently, violently, virulently, Whitely. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-e-f-l-n-n-o-r-t-t-u-u-y" | |
-2 letters: fortunately, unfortunate. | |
-4 letters: fortunate, outlearnt. | |
-5 letters: aflutter, attorney, flattery, flaunter, fluttery, fontanel, frontlet, neuronal, nonfatty, nonleafy, ornately, outlearn, rottenly, tenantry, tolerant, tutelary, unartful, unlearnt, unornate. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Images: Digital Art 8. Quotations: Familiar | 9. Quotations: Fiction 10. Quotations: Non-fiction 11. Quotations: Spoken 12. Quotations: Speeches | 13. Usage Frequency 14. Expressions 15. Expressions: Internet 16. Translations: Modern | 17. Translations: Ancient 18. Derivations 19. Rhymes 20. Anagrams | 21. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
