luck

1 of 2

noun

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
also : success
had great luck growing orchids
luckless adjective

luck

2 of 2

verb

lucked; lucking; lucks

intransitive verb

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
Noun
Liverpool did eventually find the breakthrough a few minutes later, albeit with a slice of luck. Sam Joseph, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 But Take Note The sizing is one-size-fits-all, only fitting waists from 29 to 46 inches, so those outside of these sizes are out of luck. Maya Polton, Parents, 14 Mar. 2024 Julio Rodríguez and Jorge Polanco tried their luck swinging but to the same end. Noah Furtado, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 But communities like hers increasingly worry that their luck may run out. Megan Janetsky, Victor R. Caivano and Rodrigo Abd, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 Join the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association and groove to your favorite tunes through wireless headphones, all while celebrating the luck of the Irish. Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Rockin River Ranch State Park fishing Anglers can try their luck fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, redeye, channel and flathead catfish, bluegill and green sunfish. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 Maybe luck has something to do with it, but there’s a case to be made that Williams created the era in which concert treatments of film music and live-to-screen presentations are beloved hallmarks of symphony seasons. Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 Dodd's team has tried the usual tricks to reset things — with no luck. Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
When the event kicked off, the Prince posted a personal message on social media wishing both teams luck. Victoria Murphy, Town & Country, 7 Aug. 2023 With the necessary waiver signed, Thomas handed me a black cowboy hat and wished me luck. José Sánchez Córdova, Dallas News, 22 July 2023 SeaWorld San Antonio will luck out with 2 minutes 7 seconds of totality. Matthew Cappucci, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Apr. 2023 Ordinarily, arancieri must register with a team weeks in advance and pay the roughly 120-euro fee, but someone from the Historic Carnival of Ivrea Foundation, which organizes the event, had simply gifted me an emasculatingly oversize Tuchini jersey and wished me luck. Jon Mooallem Andrea Frazzetta, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2023 Camping might not sound as appealing during the rainy months, but those who luck out with clear weather — or those who don’t mind the rain — can find plenty of space at the many Olympic National Park campgrounds that remain open year-round, including the Hoh, Mora and Ozette campgrounds. oregonlive, 2 Oct. 2021 The Cowboys may luck out here -- Mostert missed practice Wednesday with an ankle injury and his status for Sunday is up in the air. John Owning, Dallas News, 18 Dec. 2020 But is luck a crucial factor in making someone successful? Liana Zavo, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023 Nobody could possibly expect to luck onto an alien broadcast that easily, unless there happened to be technologically advanced civilizations lurking around just about every star. Michael Lemonick, Discover Magazine, 2 Jan. 2011

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'luck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

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

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of luck was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near luck

Cite this Entry

“Luck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/luck. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

luck

noun
ˈlək
1
: whatever happens to a person apparently by chance
have good luck fishing
2
: the accidental way events occur
happening by pure luck
3
: good fortune : success
have luck
be out of luck
luckless
-ləs
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on luck

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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