luck/lucky/chance

luck
noun [U] Spoken: 2000 • Written: 3000
1 SUCCESS also good luck the good things that happen to someone by chance, not through their work or effort:
• I've always had good luck meeting nice people in this apartment building.
• It was sheer luck (= used to emphasize that something happened only by luck) that we happened to see each other in the crowd.
• It was a stroke of luck (= used to say that someone has very good luck) that the Australian actress happened to get the part. She hadn't even intended to go to the audition.
2 bad luck the bad things that happen to someone by chance, not because of something they did:
• It was just bad luck that she happened to get sick that day.
• I've always had bad luck with women.
• The team has had a run of bad luck (= had a series of bad things happen) with all this rain.
3 it's good/bad luck to do sth used to say that doing, seeing, finding etc. something makes good or bad things happen to someone:
• It's bad luck to walk under a ladder.
4 be in luck INFORMAL to be able to do or get something, especially when you did not expect to:
• You're in luck. There's one ticket left.
5 be out of luck INFORMAL to be prevented from getting or doing something by bad luck:
• We're out of luck. The store's closed.
6 wish sb luck to tell someone that you hope they will be successful in something they are about to do:
• Mom came over to wish me luck before the race.
Spoken phrases
7 Good luck! used to tell someone that you hope they will be successful in something they are about to do:
• Good luck in the interview!
8 any/no luck used in questions and negatives to say whether or not someone has been able to do something:
• Did you have any luck getting into the show?
• " Any luck? " "Yes, I got a flight on Friday."
• I'm having no luck reaching Julie at home.
• " No luck? " (= said when you think someone has not been able to do something) "No, the guy said they left yesterday."
9 no such luck! used to say you are disappointed, because something good that could have happened did not happen:
• "Will we get there on time?" "No such luck!"
10 just my luck! used to say that you are not surprised something bad has happened to you, because you are usually unlucky:
• Just my luck! They've already gone home.
11 with/knowing sb's luck used to say that you expect something bad will happen to someone because bad things often do happen to them:
• Knowing his luck, he'll get hit with a golf ball or something.
12 some people/guys have all the luck! used to say that you wish you had what someone else has
13 better luck next time! used to say that you hope someone will be more successful the next time they try to do something
14 (one) for luck used when you take, add, or do something for no particular reason, or in order to say that you hope good things happen:
• You get three kisses for your birthday, and one for luck.
15 with any luck INFORMAL if things happen in the way that you want; HOPEFULLY:
• With any luck, the old music hall will never be torn down.
16 CHANCE the fact of good or bad things happening to people by chance:
• Dice is a game of luck.
• You never know who you'll get as a roommate. It's just a matter of luck.
17 the luck of the draw the result of chance rather than something you can control:
• It was by the luck of the draw that I got a corner office.
18 as luck would have it INFORMAL used to say that something happened by chance:
• As luck would have it, there were two seats left on the last flight.
19 do sth for luck to do something because you think it might bring you good luck:
• John always carried a rabbit's foot for luck.
20 be down on your luck INFORMAL to have no money because you have had a lot of bad luck over a period of time:
• The program is for motivated people who are temporarily down on their luck.
21 luck is on sb's side if luck is on someone's side, things go well for them:
• With two kids and a beautiful wife, luck was on his side. --see also hard-luck story (HARD1 (21)) push your luck (PUSH1 (11)) tough luck (TOUGH1 (7)) trust sth to luck/chance/fate etc. (TRUST2 (5)) try your luck (TRY1 (10))

luck
verb
luck out phrasal verb [I]
INFORMAL to be lucky:
• We lucked out and found someone who spoke English

lucky:
adjective luckier, luckiest Spoken: 2000 • Written: 3000
1 having good luck; FORTUNATE [be lucky to do/be sth]:
• He's lucky to be alive.
• We were lucky to find a parking spot right in front of the store.
• John was lucky enough to be selected for the team. [lucky (that)]:
• Janet's lucky the car didn't hit her. [+ with]:
• Our school district has been very lucky with our superintendents.:
• consider/count yourself lucky: William considers himself lucky to have married Leonora.
2 resulting from good luck:
• In the second half, the Red Wings scored a very lucky goal.
• That was just a lucky guess. I had no idea what the answer was.
3 bringing good luck:
• a lucky rabbit's foot
Spoken phrases
4 lucky you/me etc.! used to say that someone is fortunate to be able to do something:
• "I've got free tickets to the game!" "Lucky you."
5 be sb's lucky day used to say that something good and often unexpected has happened to someone:
• "Look at the size of the fish I caught!" "It must be your lucky day!"
6 I'll be lucky if... used to say that you think something is very unlikely:
• I'll be lucky if I get even half of my money back.
7 I/you should be so lucky! used to say that someone wants something that is not likely to happen, especially because it is unreasonable:
• Sleep past 6 a.m.? I should be so lucky!
8 (you) lucky dog! used to say that someone is very lucky and that you wish you had what they have:
• You didn't have to pay for the tickets? You lucky dog! --see also thank your lucky stars (THANK (4))


Use the noun luck without an adjective to mean the good things that happen to you by chance: It was just luck that there were two seats left.
With luck, you'll find the right job. You can use the verb "have" with the word luck , but only if a word such as an adjective or determiner comes before luck : Ted's had a lot of bad luck recently.
Did you have any luck (NOT "did you have luck") reaching Tina on the phone? Use lucky to describe a situation that is good by chance, or someone who has good luck: You're lucky you didn't lose any money in Fran's business venture.


chance:
1 OPPORTUNITY [C] a time or situation that you can use to do something that you want to do; opportunity [chance to do sth]:
• I took the class because it was a chance to learn more about computers.:
• She never even gave me a chance to say goodbye.
• I wanted to take this chance (= use this opportunity)to say how much I have appreciated your help over the years.
• have/get a chance to do sth: Tomorrow I might have a chance to look at your taxes.
• Rachel jumped at the chance (= eagerly and quickly used an opportunity) to go to France for a year.
• This is your last chance to prove you can be trusted.
• Hey John, now's your chance to finally ask her for a date.
• Given half a chance (= if given even a small opportunity) other firms would have done the same thing.
• Getting that job was definitely the chance of a lifetime (= an opportunity you are not likely to get more than once).
• a second/another chance (= another chance, in which you hope to do better after failing the first time)
2 POSSIBILITY [C,U] how possible or likely it is that something will happen or be true, especially something that you want [+ of]:
• What do you think our chances of getting that contract are?:
• There's a chance that she left her keys in the office.
• Chances are (= it is likely), someone you know has been burglarized.
• a good/slight/fair chance: There's a slight chance of showers this weekend.
• some/no/little chance: There seems to be little chance of a peaceful end to the conflict.
• With the operation, he'll have a fifty-fifty chance (= an equal chance of something happening or not happening) of walking again.
• a one in a million chance/a million to one chance (= an extremely small chance)
3 stand/have a chance (of doing sth) if someone or something stands or has a chance of doing something, it is possible that they will succeed:
• I think we stand a pretty good chance (= are very likely to succeed) of winning the World Series.
• Polls show that Buchanan still has a fighting chance (= has a small but real chance of success if a great effort can be made) in the election.
4 take a chance also take (my/your/any etc.) chances to do something that involves risk:
• She knew she was taking a chance, but she decided to buy the house anyway. [take a chance on/with]:
• Thomas took a chance on Alvin Robertson by making him head coach.:
• Olympic officials were taking no chances of another terrorist attack.
5 LUCK [U] the way some things happen without being planned or caused by people:
• He supervises every detail of the business and leaves nothing to chance.
• A tourist had filmed the robbery by chance (= without being planned or intended).
• As chance would have it (= happening in a way that was not expected or intended), we both got jobs at the same hospital.
• pure/sheer/blind chance: Solving the crime was pure chance.
6 sb's chances how likely it is that someone will succeed:
• What are your chances of getting a college scholarship?
7 by any chance SPOKEN used to ask politely whether something is true:
• Would you, by any chance, know where a pay phone is?
8 fat chance!/not a chance! SPOKEN used to emphasize that you are sure something could never happen:
• "Everybody will chip in a couple of dollars." "Fat chance!"
9 on the off chance if you do something on the off chance, you do it hoping for a particular result, although you know it is not likely:
• I keep all of my old clothes on the off chance that they might come back into fashion.
10 any chance of... SPOKEN used to ask whether you can have something or whether something is possible:
• "Any chance of you two getting back together?" "I don't think so." --see also a game of chance (GAME1 (12)) an outside chance (OUTSIDE3 (5))


chance:verb [T]
1 INFORMAL to do something that you know involves a risk:
• We could save money by hitchhiking, but why chance it?
2 LITERARY to happen in an unexpected and unplanned way [chance to do sth]:
• She ended up marrying a man who chanced to come by looking for a room.
chance on/upon sb/sth phrasal verb [T] LITERARY
to find something or meet someone when you are not expecting to:
• Unknowingly, he had chanced upon the bathing place of the goddess Artemis.


chanceadjective [only before noun]
not planned; accidental:
• a chance meeting/encounter (= an occasion when you meet someone by accident)