mindmap root((不幸)) misfortune may apply either to the incident or conjunction of events that is the cause of an unhappy change of fortune or to the ensuing state of distress: never lost hope even in the depths of ~. mischance applies especially to a situation involving no more than slight inconvenience or minor annoyance: took the wrong road by ~. mishap applies to a trivial instance of bad luck: the usual ~s that are part of a family vacation. adversity applies to a state of grave or persistent misfortune: had never experienced much ~ in life.