bad luck

idiom

—used in speech to show sympathy for someone who has failed or has been disappointed

"I didn't get the job." "Bad luck!"

Examples of bad luck in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of the turnovers have been bad luck, like when SMU ripped a would-be touchdown away from Eric McAlister in the end zone or when Jordan Dwyer bobbled a pass only for it to be intercepted by the Sun Devils. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Sep. 2025

Ted is optimistic that this budding romance is the beginning of his Christmas comeback, but his looming holiday bad luck still has a few curveballs in store for him. —Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025

Injuries, bad luck or bad play could shut their water off, perhaps as soon as next weekend against Pittsburgh. —Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025

In This is Spinal Tap fashion, DiBergi captures the band’s eccentricities and penchant for attracting bad luck at every turn. —Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for bad luck

• amok
• amuck
• awestruck
• dumbstruck
• potluck
• roebuck
• unstuck
• woodchuck
• chuck
• cluck
• duck
• huck