English-French translations for misfortune

• malchance
  J'avais la malchance de vivre dans ce système et je sais comment les choses se passent dans ce type de pays. I had the misfortune to live in that system and I know what the situation is like in such a country.
  Perdre un défenseur de la liberté de religion, c'est jouer de malchance; en perdre deux, c'est faire preuve d'une véritable négligence. in writing. - To lose one advocate of freedom of religion is a misfortune; to lose two is downright carelessness.
  J'ai eu la malchance de vivre de très près cette tragédie, cet incendie qui a éclaté cet été sur l'île de La Palma, aux Canaries. I had the misfortune to live very close to this tragedy, to the fire that took place this summer on the island of La Palma in the Canaries.
• malheur
  Le malheur des uns touche également les autres. The misfortune of some affects us all.
  Que le malheur de l’Asie du Sud-Est serve de leçon. Let the misfortune of south-east Asia be a lesson.
  Il incombe aux responsables politiques de servir leurs concitoyens et de tenir le malheur à distance. The duty of politicians is to serve the people and prevent misfortune.
• infortuné
• mésaventure
  En Écosse, nous avons récemment connu une mésaventure similaire avec le désastre du Braer. We, in Scotland, recently in the case the Braer disaster suffered a similar misfortune.

Definition of misfortune

• bad luck
• an undesirable event such as an accident

Examples

• The worst tour I have ever had the misfortune to experience.
• It was my fortune, or misfortune, to be called to the office of Chief Executive without any previous political training. - Ulysses S. Grant
• She had to come to terms with a number of misfortunes.

Related words

• misfortunate
• stroke of misfortune
• partner in misfortune