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Schlimazel: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Schlimazel noun. A habitually unlucky person to whom mishaps always seem to happen.
How to say it
shlih-MAH-zul/ʃlɪˈmɑːz(ə)l/
3 syllables, stressed on the second (MAH).
Schlimazel in a sentence
He's a schlimazel: his umbrella breaks on the one day it actually rains.
In the old joke, the clumsy waiter spills the soup and the schlimazel is the one it lands on.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- unlucky soul
- born loser
- hard-luck case
Where schlimazel comes from
Yiddish, from German schlimm, bad, and Hebrew mazzāl, luck.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
In the old joke, the clumsy waiter spills the soup and the _____ is the one it lands on.
- faux pas
- schlimazel
- sangfroid
Show the answer
schlimazel: In the old joke, the clumsy waiter spills the soup and the schlimazel is the one it lands on.