mischance - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
From Anglo-Norman meschance, Old French meschance, meschaunce.
mischance (countable and uncountable, plural mischances)
- Bad luck, misfortune.
Synonyms: mishap, misluck; see also Thesaurus:bad luck- c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
But let this same be presently perform'd / Even when men's minds are wild, lest more mischance / On plots and errors happen.
- c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
- A mishap, an unlucky circumstance.
Synonyms: adversity, misfortune
Antonym: fortuity- 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 3:
He doth miraculously protect from thieves, incursions, sword, fire, and all violent mischances […]
- 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 3:
mischance (third-person singular simple present mischances, present participle mischancing, simple past and past participle mischanced)
- (ambitransitive) To undergo (a misfortune); to suffer (something unfortunate).