luck en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /lʊk/ (Northern-England)
- (US) audio
- /lʌk/ (US)
- [lɐk] (Received-Pronunciation)
- (UK) audio
- /lʌk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English luk, lukke, from Middle Dutch luc, geluc, gelucke (“good luck, fortune”) or Middle Low German lücke, gelücke (“lot, fortune, fate, luck”), of obscure origin; perhaps ultimately related to German Lücke (“gap, opening”) in the sense of "space or opportunity", hence "chance". Cognate with West Frisian gelok (“luck”), Saterland Frisian Gluk (“luck”), Dutch luk, geluk (“luck, happiness”), Dutch Low Saxon luk (“luck”), German Low German and German Glück (“luck, good fortune, happiness”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål lykke (“luck, happiness”), Norwegian Nynorsk lukke (“luck, happiness”), Swedish lycka (“luck, happiness”), Icelandic lukka (“happiness”). According to the OED, it may be related to lock. A loanword into English in the 15th century (probably as a gambling term), Middle Dutch luc, gelucke has parallels with Middle High German lücke, gelücke ("luck, skill, chance, profession, livelihood"; whence Modern German Glück). The word occurs only from the 12th century, apparently first in Rhine Frankish. Perhaps from a Frankish *galukki, derived from Proto-Germanic *lukjǭ (“opening”). The word enters standard Middle High German during the 13th century, and spreads to English and Scandinavian in the Late Middle Ages. Its origin seems to have been regional or dialectal, and there were competing German words such as gevelle or schick, or the Latinate fortūne from Latin fortūna. Its etymology is unknown, although there are numerous proposals as to its derivations from a number of roots. Use as a verb in American English is late (1940s), but there was a Middle English verb lukken (“to chance, to happen by good fortune”) in the 15th century.
Meanings
-
(uncountable, usually) Something that happens to someone by chance, a chance occurrence.
Gilbert had some bad luck yesterday — he got pick-pocketed and lost fifty dollars.
The raffle is just a matter of luck.
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(especially, uncountable, usually) Something that happens to someone by chance, a chance occurrence. ▸ A favourable chance occurrence.
I couldn't believe my luck when I found a fifty dollar bill on the street.
Sometimes it takes a bit of luck to get success.
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(uncountable, usually) A superstitious feeling that brings fortune or success.
Shepard: We better get moving. Dr. Warren: Good luck, Commander. Dr. Manuel: Luck won't save you.
2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Eden Prime:I wish you lots of luck for the exam tomorrow.
He blew on the dice for luck.
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(uncountable, usually) Success.
I tried for ages to find a pair of blue suede shoes, but didn't have any luck.
He has a lot of luck with the ladies. Perhaps it's because of his new motorbike.
-
(uncountable, usually) The results of a random number generator.
The creators of tool-assisted speedruns often manipulate luck to get the most favorable results in order to save the most time.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| lucks | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
luck penny (terms derived from luck (noun)) · luck ball (terms derived from luck (noun)) · press one's luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · luck out (terms derived from luck (noun)) · lucky (terms derived from luck (noun)) · luck of the Irish (terms derived from luck (noun)) · with any luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · ill luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · good luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · lucky break (terms derived from luck (noun)) · better luck next time (terms derived from luck (noun)) · out of luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · luck of the draw (terms derived from luck (noun)) · devil's luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · pot luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · shit out of luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · misluck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · lucker (terms derived from luck (noun)) · down upon one's luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · make one's own luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · throw one's luck in with (terms derived from luck (noun)) · hard luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · beginner's luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · best of luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · luckbox (terms derived from luck (noun)) · try one's luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · luck money (terms derived from luck (noun)) · hard-luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · ride one's luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · no such luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · piece of luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · streak of good luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · as luck would have it (terms derived from luck (noun)) · someone's luck is in (terms derived from luck (noun)) · bad luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · lucksome (terms derived from luck (noun)) · just my luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · here's luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · stroke of luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · be in luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · pot-luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · chuck-a-luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · lady luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · tough luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · potluck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · push one's luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · shit luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · dumb luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · some people have all the luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · break luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · hard-luck story (terms derived from luck (noun)) · ill-luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · luckling (terms derived from luck (noun)) · one for luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · luck dragon (terms derived from luck (noun)) · fisherman's luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · luckless (terms derived from luck (noun)) · unluck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · down on one's luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · luck of the devil (terms derived from luck (noun)) · luckful (terms derived from luck (noun)) · worse luck (terms derived from luck (noun)) · as luck may have it (terms derived from luck (noun)) · best of British luck (terms derived from luck (noun))
Descendants
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Relateds
Synonyms
hazard · chance · accident · hap · adventure · chance · fortuity · good fortune · casualty · luck · fortune · good luck · hap · fortuitousness · good luck · fortune · fortune · felicity · happiness · fortuitousness · fortune · good cess · weird · luck · chance-medley · serendipity · fortune · chance · joss
Translations (155)
mn аз (something that happens to someone by chance) · he גָּד (something that happens to someone by chance) · fi tsägä (something that happens to someone by chance) · be уда́ча (something that happens to someone by chance) · got 𐌰𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌴𐌹 (something that happens to someone by chance) · ary زهر (something that happens to someone by chance) · io chanco (something that happens to someone by chance) · ja 運 (something that happens to someone by chance) · vi vận (something that happens to someone by chance) · ro noroc (something that happens to someone by chance) · ru успе́х (success) · pox lük (something that happens to someone by chance) · fa شانس (something that happens to someone by chance) · is lukka (something that happens to someone by chance) · unm tëminakw (something that happens to someone by chance) · mk среќа (something that happens to someone by chance) · pl szczęście (something that happens to someone by chance) · ru сча́стье (something that happens to someone by chance) · lv veiksme (something that happens to someone by chance) · mk успех (success) · ko 운 (something that happens to someone by chance) · grc τύχη (something that happens to someone by chance) · eo sorto (something that happens to someone by chance) · vo läb (something that happens to someone by chance) · az uğur (something that happens to someone by chance) · wa bouneur (something that happens to someone by chance) · izh lykky (something that happens to someone by chance) · tr uğur (something that happens to someone by chance) · sh у̀спех (success) · ca sort (something that happens to someone by chance) · tl suwerte (something that happens to someone by chance) · uk у́спіх (success) · ur قسمت (something that happens to someone by chance) · ast suerte (something that happens to someone by chance) · zza şayen (success) · es suerte (something that happens to someone by chance) · ms tuah (something that happens to someone by chance) · bo ལམ་འགྲོ (something that happens to someone by chance) · vi vận may (something that happens to someone by chance) · is heppni (something that happens to someone by chance) · so nasiib (something that happens to someone by chance) · fi flaksi (something that happens to someone by chance) · sh талија (something that happens to someone by chance) · cmn 運氣 /运气 (something that happens to someone by chance) · fr bol (something that happens to someone by chance) · ang ġesǣlþ (something that happens to someone by chance) · sh ùspjeh (success) · cs štěstí (something that happens to someone by chance) · fi onni (something that happens to someone by chance) · sv lycka (something that happens to someone by chance) · bg ща́стие (something that happens to someone by chance) · mnb dawua (something that happens to someone by chance) · tg барор (something that happens to someone by chance) · bg късме́т (something that happens to someone by chance) · ar حَظّ (something that happens to someone by chance) · sl srẹ́ča (something that happens to someone by chance) · lt sėkmė (something that happens to someone by chance) · ro soartă (something that happens to someone by chance) · chl 'esweerta (something that happens to someone by chance) · ar بَخْت (something that happens to someone by chance) · sq gullmë (something that happens to someone by chance) · ga ádh (something that happens to someone by chance) · tr talih (something that happens to someone by chance) · ia sorte (something that happens to someone by chance) · sh сре̏ћа (something that happens to someone by chance) · de Glück (something that happens to someone by chance) · ckb بەخت (something that happens to someone by chance) · arz حظ (something that happens to someone by chance) · te అదృష్టం (something that happens to someone by chance) · grc εὐτυχία (something that happens to someone by chance) · km ជោគ (something that happens to someone by chance) · az bəxt (something that happens to someone by chance) · fy gelok (something that happens to someone by chance) · qu ataw (something that happens to someone by chance) · hi सौभाग्य (something that happens to someone by chance) · ja 運勢 (something that happens to someone by chance) · hu szerencse (something that happens to someone by chance) · wa tchance (something that happens to someone by chance) · pl sukces (success) · acw حَظ (something that happens to someone by chance) · uk ща́стя (something that happens to someone by chance) · el τύχη (something that happens to someone by chance) · ta அதிட்டம் (something that happens to someone by chance) · sk šťastie (something that happens to someone by chance) · sk úspech (success) · fr veine (something that happens to someone by chance) · ja 福 (something that happens to someone by chance) · hrx Glick (something that happens to someone by chance) · ml അദൃഷ്ടം (something that happens to someone by chance) · tr şans (something that happens to someone by chance) · be по́спех (success) · sl uspȅh (success) · sh ùspeh (success) · fi onni (success) · id keberuntungan (something that happens to someone by chance) · be шча́сце (something that happens to someone by chance) · la fors (something that happens to someone by chance) · sv tur (something that happens to someone by chance) · ceb suwerte (something that happens to someone by chance) · fi säkä (something that happens to someone by chance) · cmn 時運 /时运 (something that happens to someone by chance) · sh talija (something that happens to someone by chance) · ru везе́ние (something that happens to someone by chance) · om carraa (something that happens to someone by chance) · gl sorte (something that happens to someone by chance) · km សំណាង (something that happens to someone by chance) · hi भाग्य (something that happens to someone by chance) · ro șansă (something that happens to someone by chance) · bg успе́х (success) · nl geluk (something that happens to someone by chance) · da held (something that happens to someone by chance) · my ကံ (something that happens to someone by chance) · pt sorte (something that happens to someone by chance) · ota اوغور (something that happens to someone by chance) · sh у̀спјех (success) · eu zori (something that happens to someone by chance) · fi mäihä (something that happens to someone by chance) · cs úspěch (success) · et õnn (something that happens to someone by chance) · eu adur (something that happens to someone by chance) · sq fat (something that happens to someone by chance) · srn koloku (something that happens to someone by chance) · arz بخت (something that happens to someone by chance) · fi tuuri (success) · zza bext (something that happens to someone by chance) · fi munkki (something that happens to someone by chance) · fy lok (something that happens to someone by chance) · sh srȅća (something that happens to someone by chance) · fr chance (something that happens to someone by chance) · si වාසනාව (something that happens to someone by chance) · sw bahati (something that happens to someone by chance) · ur تقدیر (something that happens to someone by chance) · ko 재수 (something that happens to someone by chance) · th โชค (something that happens to someone by chance) · la fortūna (something that happens to someone by chance) · he מַזָּל (something that happens to someone by chance) · nds Glücke (something that happens to someone by chance) · grc εὐτύχημα (something that happens to someone by chance) · ota قوت (something that happens to someone by chance) · lo ໂຊກ (something that happens to someone by chance) · uk уда́ча (something that happens to someone by chance) · vi may mắn (something that happens to someone by chance) · fi tuuri (something that happens to someone by chance) · fr chatte (something that happens to someone by chance) · pdt Jlekj (something that happens to someone by chance) · it fortuna (something that happens to someone by chance) · ota بخت (something that happens to someone by chance) · fr cul (something that happens to someone by chance) · hy բախտ (something that happens to someone by chance) · izh onni (something that happens to someone by chance) · ru уда́ча (something that happens to someone by chance) · oj minose (something that happens to someone by chance) · enm sped (success) · fi lykky (something that happens to someone by chance) · zza sehud (something that happens to someone by chance)