luck
11 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of LUCK
[noncount]
1
:
the things that happen to a person because of chance
:
the accidental way things happen without being planned
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Our meeting happened by (pure) luck. [=chance]
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Her business has been doing poorly, but she's hoping that her luck will change. [=she's hoping that she will begin to have success]
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We had good/bad luck fishing.
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He's been having nothing but bad/rotten/hard/tough/lousy luck.
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He cursed his luck.
◊ When luck is on your side or luck is with you, your luck is good. When luck is against you, your luck is bad.
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Our car broke down on the road, but luck was on our side and there was a garage nearby.
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I arrived a little late and luck was against me: the last ticket had just been sold.
2
a
:
good fortune
:
good luck
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He succeeded through hard work and a little luck.
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We need a bit of luck.
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If our luck holds [=if our luck continues to be good], we should be able to arrive on time.
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Before her husband left for his job interview, she gave him a kiss for luck. [=so that he would have good luck]
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I can't believe they gave the job to that guy. Some people/guys have all the luck. [=some people are very lucky]
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The success of his first restaurant was just beginner's luck. [=he succeeded because he was lucky, as beginners sometimes are]
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With (any) luck [=if we are lucky, if what we want to happen does happen] there'll still be some tickets left when we arrive.
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By a stroke of luck, there were still a few tickets left when we arrived.
b
:
success in doing or getting something
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Have you had any luck [=success] (in) finding a new apartment?
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“I've been looking for a new apartment.” “Any luck?” “No, not yet.”
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I've had no luck in finding a new apartment.
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He had no better luck than I did.
as luck would have it
— used to say that something happened because of good or bad luck
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Our car broke down on the road, but as luck would have it [=as it turned out], there was a garage nearby.
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I arrived a little late and, as luck would have it, the last ticket had just been sold.
bad luck
or British hard luck
— used in speech to show sympathy for someone who has failed or has been disappointed
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“I didn't get the job.” “Bad luck!”
best of luck
informal
— used to say that you hope someone will succeed
—
see also wish someone (the best of) luck (below)
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We're sorry that you're leaving. Best of luck to you in your new job.
better luck next time
— used to say that you hope someone will have more success in doing or trying something in the future
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I'm sorry to hear that you didn't get the job. Better luck next time.
down on your luck
◊ When you are down on your luck, your luck is bad.
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She's been down on her luck lately. [=she has been suffering through a difficult time lately]
good luck
1
— used to say that you hope someone will succeed
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We're sorry that you're leaving. Good luck in your new job.
2
informal
— used to say that you think what someone is trying to do is difficult or impossible
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“I'm planning to ask for a raise.” “Oh, really? Well, good luck (to you).” [=I think it is unlikely that you will get a raise]
in luck
◊ When you are in luck, something that you want to do is possible.
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“Are there any tickets?” “You're in luck. We still have a few more left.”
just my luck
informal
— used to say that bad or unpleasant things often happen to you because you are unlucky
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The last ticket was sold a minute before I got there—just my luck.
Lady Luck
or lady luck
— used to refer to luck as if it were a woman
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He blamed his problems on lady luck.
no such luck
informal
— used to say that you could not do or have something you wanted
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We hoped we could still get tickets, but no such luck—they had all been sold.
out of luck
◊ When you are out of luck, something that you want to do is not possible.
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We hoped we could still get tickets, but we were out of luck—they had all been sold.
push your luck
or US press your luck
◊ If you are pushing/pressing your luck, you are taking more risks than you should or you are asking for more favors than you should.
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“Can I have more time to finish the job?” “Don't press/push your luck. You've already been given extra time.”
the luck of the draw
— used to say that the result of something cannot be controlled and depends on chance
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The weather may be good or bad that day—it all depends on the luck of the draw.
tough luck
informal
◊ Tough luck can be used in speech to show sympathy for someone who has failed or has been disappointed, but it is more commonly used in an ironic way to show that you do not feel sympathy for someone.
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“I need more time to finish the job.” “Tough luck. You knew the job was supposed to be done by today.”
try your luck
◊ To try your luck at something is to do something in the hope that you will succeed.
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He's trying his luck at starting his own restaurant.
wish someone (the best of) luck
:
to say that you hope someone will have success
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I wish you (the best of) luck in your new job.
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I have a job interview this morning. Wish me luck!
2
luck
/ˈlʌk/
verb
lucks;
lucked;
lucking
2
luck
/ˈlʌk/
verb
lucks;
lucked;
lucking
Britannica Dictionary definition of LUCK
luck into
[phrasal verb]
luck into (something)
US, informal
:
to find or get (something) because of good luck
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She lucked into a good job.
luck out
[phrasal verb]
US, informal
:
to have good luck
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We arrived late but we lucked out—there were still a few tickets left.
