luck

¹luck

noun \ˈlək\

Definition of LUCK

1

a : a force that brings good fortune or adversity

b : the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual

2

: favoring chance; also : success <had great luck growing orchids>

— luck·less \-ləs\ adjective

Examples of LUCK

1. We had good luck fishing.
2. He's been having nothing but bad luck.
3. He succeeded through hard work and a little luck.
4. We need a bit of luck.
5. By a stroke of luck, there were still a few tickets left when we arrived.
6. “I've been looking for a new apartment.” “Any luck?” “No, not yet.”
7. I've had no luck in finding a new apartment.
8. He had no better luck than I did.

Origin of LUCK

Middle English lucke, from Middle Dutch luc; akin to Middle High German gelücke luck

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to LUCK

Synonyms

fortunateness, fortune, luckiness

Antonyms

mischance, misfortune, unluckiness

Related Words

blessing, boon, fluke, godsend, hit, serendipity, strike, windfall; break, chance, opportunity; coup, stroke

Near Antonyms

knock, misadventure, mishap; adversity, curse, debacle (also débâcle), sorrow, tragedy, trouble; calamity, cataclysm, catastrophe, disaster; defeat, failure, fizzle, nonachievement, nonsuccess; accident, casualty; disappointment, lapse, letdown, reversal, reverse, setback, slipup; circumstance, destiny, doom, fate, lot, portion; hex, jinx

Rhymes with LUCK

buck, chuck, cluck, cruck, duck, guck, huck, muck, pluck, puck, ruck, schmuck, shuck, struck, suck, truck, Truk, tuck, yech, yuck

²luck

intransitive verb

Definition of LUCK

1

: to prosper or succeed especially through chance or good fortune —usually used with out <the hero lucks out and is able to escape>

2

: to come upon something desirable by chance —usually used with out, on, onto, or into <lucked into a wonderful opportunity>

First Known Use of LUCK

circa 1584