1
a
: a force that brings good fortune or adversity
Luck was a big factor in the outcome.
b
: the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual
The loser muttered something about bad luck.
2
: favoring chance
lucked; lucking; lucks
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
Examples of luck in a Sentence
Noun
We had good luck fishing.
He's been having nothing but bad luck.
He succeeded through hard work and a little luck.
We need a bit of luck.
By a stroke of luck, there were still a few tickets left when we arrived.
“I've been looking for a new apartment.” “Any luck?” “No, not yet.”
I've had no luck in finding a new apartment.
He had no better luck than I did.
Recent Examples on the Web
Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Thanks to a perfect storm of economic luck, such as affordable home prices and steady wages, boomers have accumulated a collective net worth of $82 trillion— more than double that of Gen X ($42 trillion) and four times that of millennials ($16 trillion), according to data from Investopedia.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Don’t leave your career to luck.
—Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for luck
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
With a bit more luck in the Safety Car, could have been a P8 or P7, even though the pace is difficult to evaluate.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Thanks to a perfect storm of economic luck, such as affordable home prices and steady wages, boomers have accumulated a collective net worth of $82 trillion— more than double that of Gen X ($42 trillion) and four times that of millennials ($16 trillion), according to data from Investopedia.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Players like Lamb and Trevon Diggs also wished Parsons luck.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Don’t leave your career to luck.
—Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for luck
Cite this Entry
“Luck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/luck. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share