luck
Something that happens to someone by chance, a chance occurrence.
Noun
- Something that happens to someone by chance, a chance occurrence.
- The raffle is just a matter of luck.
- Gilbert had some bad luck yesterday — he got pick-pocketed and lost fifty dollars.
-
(especially) A favourable chance occurrence.
- Sometimes it takes a bit of luck to get success.
- I couldn't believe my luck when I found a fifty dollar bill on the street.
Synonyms: chance fortune good luck hap fortuitousness felicity fortuity good cess good fortune happiness luck luck of the Irish
- A superstitious feeling that brings fortune or success.
- He blew on the dice for luck.
- I wish you lots of luck for the exam tomorrow.
- Shepard: We better get moving. Dr. Warren: Good luck, Commander. Dr. Manuel: Luck won't save you. - 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Eden Prime:
Synonyms: fortune
- Success.
- I tried for ages to find a pair of blue suede shoes, but didn't have any luck.
- He has a lot of luck with the ladies. Perhaps it's because of his new motorbike.
- The results of a random number generator.
- The creators of tool-assisted speedruns often manipulate luck to get the most favorable results in order to save the most time.
Origin
From Middle English luk, lukke, related to Old Frisian luk (“luck”), West Frisian gelok (“luck”), Saterland Frisian Gluk (“luck”), Dutch geluk (“luck, happiness”), Low German luk (“luck”), German Glück (“luck, good fortune, happiness”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål lykke (“luck, happiness”), Norwegian Nynorsk lukke (“luck, happiness”), Swedish lycka (“luck, happiness”), Icelandic lukka (“happiness”). According to the OED, it may be related to lock. A loanword into English in the 15th century (probably as a gambling term) from Middle Dutch luc, a shortened form of gheluc (“good fortune”), whence Modern Dutch geluk. Middle Dutch luc, gheluc has parallels with Middle High German lücke, gelücke (Modern German Glück). The word occurs only from the 12th century, apparently first in Rhine Frankish. Perhaps from a Frankish *galukki. The word enters standard Middle High German during the 13th...
Forms
Synonyms
adventure accident casualty chance chance-medley fortune hap hazard joss luck serendipity weird
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Related
Derived
as luck may have it as luck would have it bad luck beginner's luck be in luck best of British luck best of luck better luck next time break luck chuck-a-luck devil's luck down on one's luck down upon one's luck dumb luck fisherman's luck good luck hard luck hard-luck hard-luck story here's luck ill luck ill-luck just my luck lady luck
Verb
- To find something through good fortune; used with into, on, onto or upon.
- I lucked upon a seat, settled in, nodded off and 20 minutes later heard my name being called by the admitting nurse. - 2004 December, The Crisis, volume 111, page 50:
- But then I lucked on a backpackers' lodge lying half-hidden behind some trees right next to the road. It was a considerable relief to both my mind and my muscles. - 2010, Riaan Manser, Around Africa On My Bicycle: