1. Referring to a state of calamiy: Mr. Smee experienced the unfortunate plight of losing a lot of money at the racetrack at the beginning of the racing season.
2. Concerning something that accompanies or brings bad luck: Many people, including Dan's friend Jack, believe that certain dates on the calendar were unfortunate dates and one should not try to do any important activities.
3. Descriptive of something inappropriate in a given situation: It was an unfortunate gaffe when Lucy's little girl started to giggle in the middle of the formal ceremony.