| 1. unfortunate, unlucky, ill-fated. haplesshapless , a. without hap or luck; luckless; unfortunate; unlucky; unhappy; as, hapless youth; hapless maid.hapless deserving or inciting pity; a hapless victim; miserable victims of war; the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic- galsworthy; piteous appeals for help; pitiable homeless children; a pitiful fate; couldn't rescue the poor fellow; his poor distorted limbs; a wretched life [syn: miserable, misfortunate, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, wretched] |