tough luck
idiom
informal
—used in speech to show sympathy for someone who has failed or has been disappointed
You lost your job? Oh, tough luck.
—often used in an ironic way to show that one does not feel sympathy for someone"I need more time to finish the job." "Tough luck. You knew the job was supposed to be done by today."
Examples of tough luck in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Carter’s first interception involved tough luck as the ball was tipped at the line.
—
Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023
Ilkay Gungodan is not having much luck in Blaugrana so far
Returning to the first XI for the first time since picking up a first half knock against Real Madrid in Arlington, Texas a fortnight ago, the ex-Manchester City captain's tough luck continued.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2023
And if a young worker dies and leaves small children, tough luck.
—Tom Margenau, Dallas News, 13 Aug. 2023
Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023
Ilkay Gungodan is not having much luck in Blaugrana so far
Returning to the first XI for the first time since picking up a first half knock against Real Madrid in Arlington, Texas a fortnight ago, the ex-Manchester City captain's tough luck continued.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2023
And if a young worker dies and leaves small children, tough luck.
—Tom Margenau, Dallas News, 13 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tough luck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tough luck
Cite this Entry
“Tough luck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tough%20luck. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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