What does "luck" mean?
Something that happens to someone by chance, a chance occurrence.
Luck
/lʌk/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Something that happens to someone by chance, a chance occurrence.
- Grammar: luck is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: chance, fortune, fate, hazard.
- Useful contrasts: a lot of, bad luck, calamity.
- Usage evidence: Even if your sentences were actually senseless, you at least have the luck to be able to form beautiful sentences.
How to use "luck"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "luck" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "luck" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "luck" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "luck" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "luck" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "chance" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "luck", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Something that happens to someone by chance, a chance occurrence. uncountable, usually
"The raffle is just a matter of luck."
- 2 an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another wordnet
- 3 Something that happens to someone by chance, a chance occurrence.; A favourable chance occurrence. especially, uncountable, usually
"Sometimes it takes a bit of luck to get success."
- 4 an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that leads to a favorable outcome wordnet
- 5 A superstitious feeling that brings fortune or success. uncountable, usually
"He blew on the dice for luck."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you) wordnet
- 7 Success. uncountable, usually
"I tried for ages to find a pair of blue suede shoes, but didn't have any luck."
- 8 The results of a random number generator. uncountable, usually
"The creators of tool-assisted speedruns often manipulate luck to get the most favorable results in order to save the most time."
Verb
- 1 To find something through good fortune; used with into, on, onto or upon. informal, intransitive
"I lucked upon a seat, settled in, nodded off and 20 minutes later heard my name being called by the admitting nurse."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname transferred from the given name.
Example
"Even if your sentences were actually senseless, you at least have the luck to be able to form beautiful sentences."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "luck"?
Common synonyms include: chance, fortune, fate, hazard, accident, accident.
How do you use "luck" in a sentence?
Even if your sentences were actually senseless, you at least have the luck to be able to form beautiful sentences.
How do you pronounce "luck"?
Pronounced /lʌk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English luk, lukke, related to Old Frisian luk (“luck”), West Frisian gelok (“luck”), Saterland Frisian Gluk (“luck”), Dutch geluk (“luck, happiness”), Low German luk (“luck”), German Glück (“luck, good fortune, happiness”), Danish lykke (“luck”), Swedish lycka (“luck”), Icelandic lukka (“luck”). According to the OED, it may be related to lock. A loanword into English in the 15th century (probably as a gambling term) from Middle Dutch luc, a shortened form of gheluc (“good fortune”), whence Modern Dutch geluk. Middle Dutch luc, gheluc has parallels with Middle High German lücke, gelücke (Modern German Glück). The word occurs only from the 12th century, apparently first in Rhine Frankish. Perhaps from a Frankish *galukki. 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.
Etymology 2
From the given name Luke.