luck
♦ luck /l'ʌk/
1 [N-UNCOUNT]
Luck or good luck is success or good things that happen to you, that do not come from your own abilities or efforts.
I knew I needed a bit of luck to win...
The Sri Lankans have been having no luck with the weather...
The goal, when it came, owed more to good luck than good planning.
2 [N-UNCOUNT]
Bad luck is lack of success or bad things that happen to you, that have not been caused by yourself or other people.
I had a lot of bad luck during the first half of this season...
Randall's illness was only bad luck.
3
see also hard luck
4 [CONVENTION]
If you ask someone the question `Any luck?' or `No luck?', you want to know if they have been successful in something they were trying to do. (INFORMAL)
`Any luck?'--`No.'
5 [CONVENTION]
You can say `Bad luck', or `Hard luck', to someone when you want to express sympathy to them. (INFORMAL)
Well, hard luck, mate.
6 [PHRASE] usu v-link PHR
If you describe someone as down on their luck, you mean that they have had bad experiences, often because they do not have enough money.
7 [CONVENTION]
If you say `Good luck' or `Best of luck' to someone, you are telling them that you hope they will be successful in something they are trying to do. (INFORMAL)
He kissed her on the cheek. `Best of luck!'
8 [PHRASE] V inflects
You can say someone is in luck when they are in a situation where they can have what they want or need.
You're in luck. The doctor's still in.
9 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that someone is out of luck, you mean that they cannot have something which they can normally have.
`What do you want, Roy? If it's money, you're out of luck.'
10 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that someone is pushing their luck, you think they are taking a bigger risk than is sensible, and may get into trouble.
I didn't dare push my luck too far and did not ask them to sign statements.
11 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone tries their luck at something, they try to succeed at it, often when it is very difficult or there is little chance of success.
She was going to try her luck at the Las Vegas casinos.
12
pot luck: see pothard luck
1 [N-UNCOUNT]
If you say that someone had some hard luck, or that a situation was hard luck on them, you mean that something bad happened to them and you are implying that it was not their fault. (INFORMAL)
We had a bit of hard luck this season...
= bad luck
2 [N-UNCOUNT] poss N
If someone says that a bad situation affecting you is just your hard luck, they do not care about it or think you should be helped, often because they think it is your fault. (INFORMAL)
The shop assistants didn't really want to discuss the matter, saying it was just my hard luck.
= tough luck
3 [CONVENTION]
You can say `hard luck' to someone to show that you are sorry they have not got or done something that they had wanted to get or do. (INFORMAL)
Hard luck, chaps, but don't despair too much.
= tough luckpot luck
see pot
1 [N-UNCOUNT]
Luck or good luck is success or good things that happen to you, that do not come from your own abilities or efforts.
I knew I needed a bit of luck to win...
The Sri Lankans have been having no luck with the weather...
The goal, when it came, owed more to good luck than good planning.
2 [N-UNCOUNT]
Bad luck is lack of success or bad things that happen to you, that have not been caused by yourself or other people.
I had a lot of bad luck during the first half of this season...
Randall's illness was only bad luck.
3
see also hard luck
4 [CONVENTION]
If you ask someone the question `Any luck?' or `No luck?', you want to know if they have been successful in something they were trying to do. (INFORMAL)
`Any luck?'--`No.'
5 [CONVENTION]
You can say `Bad luck', or `Hard luck', to someone when you want to express sympathy to them. (INFORMAL)
Well, hard luck, mate.
6 [PHRASE] usu v-link PHR
If you describe someone as down on their luck, you mean that they have had bad experiences, often because they do not have enough money.
7 [CONVENTION]
If you say `Good luck' or `Best of luck' to someone, you are telling them that you hope they will be successful in something they are trying to do. (INFORMAL)
He kissed her on the cheek. `Best of luck!'
8 [PHRASE] V inflects
You can say someone is in luck when they are in a situation where they can have what they want or need.
You're in luck. The doctor's still in.
9 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that someone is out of luck, you mean that they cannot have something which they can normally have.
`What do you want, Roy? If it's money, you're out of luck.'
10 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that someone is pushing their luck, you think they are taking a bigger risk than is sensible, and may get into trouble.
I didn't dare push my luck too far and did not ask them to sign statements.
11 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone tries their luck at something, they try to succeed at it, often when it is very difficult or there is little chance of success.
She was going to try her luck at the Las Vegas casinos.
12
pot luck: see pothard luck
1 [N-UNCOUNT]
If you say that someone had some hard luck, or that a situation was hard luck on them, you mean that something bad happened to them and you are implying that it was not their fault. (INFORMAL)
We had a bit of hard luck this season...
= bad luck
2 [N-UNCOUNT] poss N
If someone says that a bad situation affecting you is just your hard luck, they do not care about it or think you should be helped, often because they think it is your fault. (INFORMAL)
The shop assistants didn't really want to discuss the matter, saying it was just my hard luck.
= tough luck
3 [CONVENTION]
You can say `hard luck' to someone to show that you are sorry they have not got or done something that they had wanted to get or do. (INFORMAL)
Hard luck, chaps, but don't despair too much.
= tough luckpot luck
see pot