A misadventure is an unfortunate incident or accident that happens during an attempt to do something, especially something that involves some risk or uncertainty. When a camping trip turns into a misadventure, maybe your tent blows away in a storm, or you get lost on what was supposed to be an easy trail, or your canoe tips over in the river. The word suggests that things went wrong, but usually in ways that are more troublesome or inconvenient than truly dangerous.

Misadventures often happen when you're trying something new or taking on a challenge. A science experiment becomes a misadventure when it creates a mess instead of the expected results. A cooking attempt turns into a misadventure when you mistake salt for sugar and ruin the whole batch of cookies.

The word carries a lighter tone than “disaster” or “catastrophe.” When someone describes an event as a misadventure, they're often looking back on it with some humor, recognizing that while things didn't go as planned, everyone got through it and probably learned something. Your family might joke about the misadventure of the time you tried to assemble furniture without reading the instructions and ended up with three extra screws and a wobbly bookshelf.