uheldigt

Uheldigt is a Danish word that functions as both an adjective and an adverb, meaning unlucky or unfortunate. As an adjective, it describes a person, an object, or a situation that is marked by bad luck or unfavorable outcomes. Examples include en uheldig mand (an unlucky man) and et uheldigt valg (an unfortunate choice). As an adverb, uheldigt can modify a verb or clause to convey that something happened in an unlucky or unfortunate way, for example: Det blev uheldigt planlagt (that was unfortunately planned) or Det skete under et uheldigt tidspunkt (it happened at an unfortunate time). The related noun uheld refers to a mishap, accident, or misfortune.

Etymology and related forms: The form comes from the negating prefix u- attached to heldig, meaning lucky. Thus, uheldigt literally means “not lucky” and has expanded to cover both personal luck and unfortunate outcomes. The word is used in Danish and has cognates in Norwegian; in Swedish the nearest common equivalent is olycklig, which follows a different etymological path.

Usage notes: Uheldigt is generally neutral and descriptive, suitable for describing outcomes, events, or circumstances. Uheldig describes a person or thing as unlucky or unfortunate in character. The adverbial form uheldigvis means “unfortunately,” while heldigvis means “fortunately,” both common in everyday speech. Uheld kan also be used as a noun to denote a mishap or accident, separate from the evaluative sense of uheldigt as an adjective or adverb.