Mishappen

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. To happen in an unlucky manner or with unfavorable results
2. To come to pass in an unlucky fashion or with an undesirable outcome
3. To take place with bad luck or undesirable consequences

Etymology: "Mishappen" is a plain compound: the prefix "mis-", meaning wrongly or badly, joined to "happen", which in Middle English meant "to befall" or "to come about by chance." Together they described something that had come about badly, or an unlucky event. The word came into English in the Middle English period, and its form shows how the parts were understood. "Mis-" was a productive prefix that attached to many verbs, so speakers could coin "mishappen" as a natural extension of "happen" without any special invention. Its meaning stayed close to the literal sense of misfortune befalling someone.