German word

Unglück

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʊnˌglʏk/

Meaning

  • neuter nounaccident

Example

Beim Unglück am Bahnhof wurden mehrere Menschen verletzt.

Several people were injured in the accident at the train station.

Illustration for Unglück (accident)

More examples

Durch gute Vorbereitung konnte man ein Unglück vermeiden.

Through good preparation, one was able to avoid an accident.

Core concept

A run of events turns sharply away from good fortune and leaves harm behind.

Common phrases

  • ein Unglück vermeiden

    avoid an accident

  • am Unglück beteiligt sein

    be involved in an accident

  • die Folgen eines Unglücks

    the consequences of an accident

Similar words

Pech: Bad luck that stops things from going as hoped.
Missgeschick: A minor everyday problem caused by carelessness or a simple mistake.
Unfall: An unexpected accident that injures people or damages property.
Katastrophe: A major disaster causing widespread disruption and serious losses.

Definition in German

Unglück ist das Fehlen von Glück in Form eines negativen Ereignisses wie Unfall, Katastrophe oder großem Missgeschick.

Word origin

Unglück combines the negating prefix "un-" with "Glück", giving the original sense of an absence of good fortune and later the sense of a harmful event.

Usage tips

  • The neuter noun is "das Unglück" with plural "die Unglücke"; "Pech" suits ordinary bad luck and "Missgeschick" a minor blunder.

Other meanings

  • misfortunenoun
  • bad lucknoun

Opposites

Related words

  • unglücklichunfortunateadjective
  • unglücklicherweiseunfortunatelyadverb
  • Unglücksfallaccidentnoun

Word lists with this word