my misfortune

USAGE SUMMARY

"my misfortune" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It can be used in a variety of situations to refer to something unfortunate or unpleasant that has happened to the speaker. Example: "Due to my misfortune, I missed the bus and was late for work." In this sentence, "my misfortune" refers to a negative event (missing the bus) that occurred to the speaker.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

It was just my misfortune they all turned out to be the wrong pieces.

The New Yorker

"I think it is my misfortune to look like a stereotypical scientist," he said.

Independent

"My misfortune was that I was born of a different sex," she said.

The New York Times

"My misfortune was not having enough money to bribe those [corrupt officials] who had framed me, so I had to flee.

Independent

And as one for whom the covenant he always had with this land has become, to my misfortune, a covenant of blood.

The Guardian

Charles Spencer kicks things off by saying: "This is as unpleasant a pile of theatrical poo as it has ever been my misfortune to tread in".

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

Letters are welcome via e-mail to [email protected] business in CubaSIR – I enjoyed reading your article about my misfortunes, albeit many months after publication and in the company of fellow inmates at a Cuban high-security prison.

The Economist

The famous autobiographies of late antiquity and the Middle Ages — St. Augustine's "Confessions" and Abelard's "History of My Misfortunes" — bared all in order to help other sinners save their souls; unlike Montaigne's "Essais," they were professedly intended for sober religious purposes.

The New York Times - Books

I bring this up not to gain admittance to the nation's ever-expanding victim class — my misfortunes with academia led to the unexpected good fortunes of teaching terrific students at America's military universities and conducting research on pressing topics.

The New York Times

My parents were the cause of my misfortunes, as surely as if they'd walked me downtown and into the arms of every man I'd encountered.

Vice

Richard Wagner says in a letter to Hans von Bülow, "I want... everyone who can take pleasure in my works, ie, my life and what I do [to know] that what gives them pleasure is my suffering, my extreme misfortune!" Science over the past century in the west has brought many comforts and blessings including longer lifespans.

The Guardian - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "my misfortune" to express a personal sense of disappointment or adversity, acknowledging an unfortunate situation that has affected you directly.

Common error

While appropriate in personal narratives or informal contexts, avoid relying on "my misfortune" excessively in formal writing; opt for more precise and objective language to describe adverse events.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "my misfortune" functions as a noun phrase that typically serves as the subject or object of a sentence, expressing the speaker's experience of bad luck or adversity. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

18%

Academia

12%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Science

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "my misfortune" is a grammatically sound and relatively common phrase used to express personal experiences of bad luck or adversity. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is used to express personal adversity. While it's appropriate for expressing disappointment in various contexts, remember to be mindful of your tone and the specific requirements of your writing. More formal writing may require more descriptive or objective language. Top sources for usage include "The New York Times", "The Guardian", and "Huffington Post".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

my bad luck

Replaces "misfortune" with a more casual term, focusing on luck as the cause.

my ill luck

Similar to "my bad luck", but uses "ill" to describe the luck.

my hardship

Focuses on the difficulty or suffering caused by the unfavorable situation, rather than the situation itself.

my adversity

A more formal term for hardship, emphasizing the challenging nature of the situation.

an unfortunate event for me

Uses a longer, more descriptive phrase to express the unfavorable situation.

a stroke of bad luck on my part

Emphasizes that the bad luck was something that happened to the speaker.

my unfortunate circumstances

Highlights the conditions or situations that led to the unfavorable outcome.

my current difficulties

Focuses on ongoing problems or challenges, rather than a single event.

the trouble I'm facing

Emphasizes the speaker's active engagement with the unfavorable situation.

the predicament I'm in

Highlights the speaker's difficult or perplexing situation.

FAQs

How can I use "my misfortune" in a sentence?

You can use "my misfortune" to describe an unlucky or unfortunate event that has occurred to you. For example, "Due to "my misfortune", I missed the train."

What are some alternatives to saying "my misfortune"?

Some alternatives include phrases like "my bad luck", "my hardship", or "my adversity", depending on the specific context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "my misfortune"?

Yes, "my misfortune" is grammatically correct. It is a common phrase used to express a personal experience of bad luck or adversity.

What is the difference between "my misfortune" and "my mistake"?

"My misfortune" refers to an unfortunate event that is not necessarily your fault, while "my mistake" implies that you were responsible for the error or unfortunate outcome.