Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Unlucky; unfortunate; ill-fated; uncanny.
  • Dangerous.
  • Inconvenient; unseasonable; unsuitable.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Happening at a bad time; unseasonable; inconvenient.
  • adjective Prov. Eng. & Scot. Ill-fated; unlucky.
  • adjective Scot. Unsafe to meddle with; dangerous.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Unfortunate, ill-fortuned.
  • adjective Dangerous, unsafe.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From un- +‎ chancy.

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Examples

  • This far from human and Elven lands there are all manner of unchancy things prowling.

    Tran Siberian Michael J. Solender 2010

  • I cannot but think that there is no safety in having such unchancy creatures about ane.

    The Monastery 2008

  • What sort of unchancy firedrake do you take me for?

    Kenny & the Dragon Tony Diterlizzi 2008

  • So, I knowing the people to pe unchancy, and not to lippen to, and hearing a pibroch in the wood, I pegan to pid my lads look to their flints, and then —

    The Heart of Mid-Lothian 2007

  • There was great glory and triumph in this; but why had his grace come at so unchancy a moment?

    Framley Parsonage 2004

  • This far from human and Elven lands there are all manner of unchancy things prowling.

    The Outstretched Shadow 2003

  • This was unchancy ground and Jim was relieved they were approaching the Adelaide turning where the red-brick shops and naphtha flares would prove a civilizing force.

    At Swim, Two Boys Jamie O’Neill 2002

  • “There™s big curses and minor ones,” said the dwarven expert, “the curse of your mother-in-law and the curse of an unchancy god.”

    The Lioness Berberick, Nancy Varian 2002

  • Kerian agreed, and she did not call upon the unchancy magic until they saw clear sky above them again.

    The Lioness Berberick, Nancy Varian 2002

  • This was unchancy ground and Jim was relieved they were approaching the Adelaide turning where the red-brick shops and naphtha flares would prove a civilizing force.

    At Swim, Two Boys Jamie O’Neill 2002

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