ill-luck
Streak of misfortune
Ill-luck is bad fortune or misfortune—the opposite of good luck.
The term is somewhat old-fashioned, appearing in expressions like by ill-luck or as ill-luck would have it: As ill-luck would have it, the train had already departed.
The hyphenated form distinguishes it from the phrase "ill luck."
Curse bringing misfortune
- curseInvoked harm through words
- hexMalevolent incantation
- bad omenSign foretelling misfortune
- evil eyeHarm-dealing gaze, supposedly
charm · amulet · talisman · voodoo · spell · witchcraft · sorcery · black cat
Minor unfortunate occurrence
- setbackReverse in progress
- calamitySevere misfortune or disaster
- disasterSudden ruinous event
- hardshipSuffering from difficult circumstances
trouble · misadventure · accident · catastrophe · loss · ruin · downfall · failure
Afflicted with misfortune
- cursedUnder a malevolent spell
- doomedDestined for destruction
- haplessLacking good fortune
- star-crossedDoomed by destiny
snakebitten · blighted · plagued · stricken · unfortunate · woeful · forlorn · misbegotten
Unavoidable grim fate
- gloomPervasive dimness or dejection
- fatalismDoctrine of inevitable outcomes
- hopelessnessState without hope
- resignationVoluntary relinquishment of position
defeatism · pessimism · bleakness · dread · melancholy · despondency · rueful · lament
Sign of future calamity
- forebodingFearful anticipation of harm
- premonitionAdvance sense of future events
- harbingerOne who foreshadows
- warningAlert about danger
augury · presage · foreshadowing · sign · prophecy · dark cloud · bad sign · specter
jinx
Curse bringing misfortune
evil eye · charm · amulet · talisman · voodoo · spell · witchcraft · sorcery · black cat · broken mirror
mishap
Minor unfortunate occurrence
hardship · trouble · misadventure · accident · catastrophe · loss · ruin · downfall · failure · plight
jinxed
Afflicted with misfortune
star-crossed · snakebitten · blighted · plagued · stricken · unfortunate · woeful · forlorn · misbegotten · unblessed
doom
Unavoidable grim fate
- gloomPervasive dimness or dejection
- fatalismDoctrine of inevitable outcomes
- hopelessnessState without hope
resignation · defeatism · pessimism · bleakness · dread · melancholy · despondency · rueful · lament · dismay
portent
Sign of future calamity
- forebodingFearful anticipation of harm
- premonitionAdvance sense of future events
- harbingerOne who foreshadows
warning · augury · presage · foreshadowing · sign · prophecy · dark cloud · bad sign · specter · vision