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An abortive attempt or action was cut short without finishing it and is hence unsuccessful.
Something that happens unexpectedly and by chance that is not inherent or natural to a given item or situation is adventitious, such as a root appearing in an unusual place on a plant.
Something that is apposite is relevant or suitable to what is happening or being discussed.
If you describe an action, rule, or plan as arbitrary you think that it has been decided without any thought, principle, or system, and therefore can seem unfair.
Auspicious describes a positive beginning of something or a certain time which looks to have a good chance of success or prosperity.
Bedlam is a situation with a great deal of noise and confusion.
If you describe someone as benign it means that she is kind, gentle, and harmless.
When you are granted a boon, you are given a special gift or favor that acts as a great benefit to you.
A cataclysm is a violent, sudden event that causes great change and/or harm.
A condign reward or punishment is appropriate, fitting, or deserved by the person who receives it.
Consternation is the feeling of anxiety or fear, sometimes paralyzing in its effect, and often caused by something unexpected that has happened.
If something is contingent upon something else, the first thing depends on the second in order to happen or exist.
A debacle is something, like an event or attempt, that fails completely in an embarrassing way.
Something that is deleterious has a harmful effect.
A deluge is a sudden, heavy downfall of rain; a deluge can also be a large number of things such as papers or e-mails that someone gets all at the same time, making them very difficult to handle.
If something discomfits you it makes you feel embarrassed, confused, uncomfortable, or frustrated.
If something disconcerts you it makes you feel anxious, worried, or confused.
When one feels disquiet about a situation, one feels very worried or nervous.
If you exult you show great pleasure and excitement, especially about something you have achieved.
If you feel a great deal of felicity about something you are very happy about it.
If an event becomes a fiasco, it is a complete and embarrassing failure.
You describe something as fortuitous if it happens purely by chance and produces a successful or pleasant result.
Something that is done inadvertently is not intentionally done but is an accident because one is not being attentive to one’s surroundings.
Something or someone that is maleficent deliberately tries to cause harm or evil.
Malfeasance is an unlawful act, especially one committed by a trusted public official.
Someone who is morose is unhappy, bad-tempered, and unwilling to talk very much.
If something is noisome it is extremely unpleasant, especially because it is very dirty or has a bad smell.
Pandemonium is a very noisy and uncontrolled situation, especially one that is caused by a lot of angry or excited people.
Something that is pernicious is very harmful or evil, often in a way that is hidden or not quickly noticed.
If you are in a plight, you are in trouble of some kind, or in a state of unfortunate circumstances.
If you are in a predicament, you are in a difficult situation or unpleasant mess that is hard to get out of.
Something that is propitious shows favorable conditions.
A providential event is a very lucky one because it happens at exactly the right time, often when it is needed most.
A rapturous feeling or reaction shows extreme pleasure, excitement, or happiness.
If you are sanguine about a situation, especially a difficult one, you are confident and cheerful that everything will work out the way you want it to.
To subvert something, like a government, is to try to destroy or damage its power and influence; to subvert someone is to corrupt her morals, loyalty, or faith.
Severe problems, difficulties, or suffering experienced in a particular situation are all examples of tribulations.
If you do something in an unwitting fashion you didn’t know you were doing it, hence it was unintentional on your part.
Vicissitudes can be unexpected or simply normal changes and variations that happen during life.
Noun
serendipity
ser-uhn-DIP-i-tee
Context
Running into my friend, whom I hadn’t seen in years, was a moment of serendipity or pure luck. He himself had had an amazing run of serendipity or fortunate discovery in turn. For instance, on a backpacking trip through Mexico, he accidentally stumbled upon a major archeological find—talk about serendipity!
Serious End of Pity Wouldn’t it be great if, by serendipity, someone discovered a serious way to endpity by fixing all the woes in the world?
Examples
In reality, serendipity accounts for one percent of the blessings we receive in life, work and love. The other 99 percent is due to our efforts.
— Peter McWilliams
There’s so much of modern life that makes it preferable to the vaunted good old days — better hygiene products and power steering leap to mind — but in these disposable days of now and the future, the concept of serendipity is endangered.
—The New York Times
Some of the most tumultuous events, however, have been provoked by serendipity — the assassination of an inconsequential archduke spawned World War I, a kicked-over lantern may have sparked the Great Chicago Fire.
—TIME
To demonstrate the importance of serendipity, we've put together a list of 10 examples of unintentional discoveries that too often we find ourselves taking for granted.
—Newsvine
Serendipity is the “state or quality of Serendip.” In the old Persian tale “The Three Princes of Serendip,” three heroes are described who make lucky discoveries.
