Bad luck, misfortune, or an unfortunate event or accident.
From Old French desaventure (bad luck), combining des- (dis-) + aventure (adventure, chance event). This archaic term reflects medieval understanding of adventure as unpredictable fortune rather than exciting activity.
This obsolete word reveals how 'adventure' originally meant any unpredictable happening—good or bad—before it became associated with exciting journeys, showing how our vocabulary's emotional coloring shifts over centuries.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.