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misadventure

misadventure

15 6.9
An unlucky event that causes small harm or trouble
  • noun
  • /ˌmɪsədˈvɛnʧər/
translation icon : percance
  • You have obviously had a number of misadventures, losing your leg and your arm.

I'll do my best to avoid all such misadventures.

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Examples

  • Janet Evanovich has produced twelve slapstick mysteries around the misadventures of Stephanie Plum, a young, inept bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Nevertheless, I was there, and those two seemed bent on proceeding with this insane misadventure.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Fate has turned our little misadventure into a great opportunity.

  • And at the end of this extraordinary misadventure, I got off the plane in Panama City.

  • Our relationship has been a series of misadventures from beginning to end.

  • In the end, when the coroner's jury returned a verdict of "death by misadventure," Sir John pushed the matter no further.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The fragmented plot circles around the misadventures of a girl lost on a battlefield.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • He has some funny misadventures and he makes all kinds of mistakes... ...because he's from the city, right... ...and now he's completely out of his element.

  • She laughed at the small misadventure of forgetting her umbrella in the rain.

  • His hiking trip was full of funny misadventures, like getting lost or tripping over rocks.

Synonyms

accident
vsmisadventure
1.0

An unexpected event that causes harm or damage

is usually less harmful and refers to a minor, not serious event
incident
vsmisadventure
2.7

An event that is unusual or draws attention

is limited to unlucky minor events rather than any notable occurrence
misfortune
vsmisadventure
75 3.7

A bad event that causes trouble

is typically a smaller, less serious form of unfortunate event
mishap
vsmisadventure
62 3.4

A small accident that causes trouble but not serious harm

focuses on an unfortunate minor event rather than emphasizing bad luck
mischance
vsmisadventure
1 8.5

An unlucky event that causes problems

is similar but stresses a minor mishap rather than general bad luck

Antonyms

1.0

Getting what you want after working hard

547 1.0

A fortunate event that happens by chance

How Serious

disaster
1.0
accident
1.0
misadventure
15 6.9
mishap
62 3.4
near miss
14 3.7

Surface Forms

misadventure singular
misadventures plural

Morphology

misadventure = adventure (transparent) = mis + adventure

A straightforward negative prefix 'mis-' added to the common noun 'adventure' yields 'misadventure' meaning an unfortunate or ill-fated incident; learners familiar with 'mis-' and 'adventure' can derive this sense.

Etymology

Misadventure begins with mis- meaning 'bad' or 'wrong' and ends with adventure, a word for a 'happening' or risky experience. So a misadventure is simply a 'bad happening'—an adventure that went wrong, like a small accident on a trip.