Luck
n.joyful, hopefuleveryday
Meaning 1
Chance as it affects whether events turn out favorably or unfavorably.
Reach for it when acknowledging the role of chance in an outcome
Skill prepared the climbers, but luck gave them a clear weather window.
Choose between these
2- everyday
chance
randomness itself is the neutral subject
not when Chance does not imply a favorable or unfavorable result.
- literary
chance feels like a larger force shaping events
not when Fortune can also mean wealth and may sound fated.
Meaning 2
A favorable result that arrives partly through chance.
Reach for it when celebrating good fortune without claiming it was earned
Finding the missing key before the train left was pure luck.
Choose between these
5- playful
break
an informal opportunity or favorable turn is meant
not when Break can imply an opportunity someone still must use.
- playful
fluke
the result was unusually accidental and unlikely to repeat
not when Fluke can diminish real preparation or skill.
- warm
a valuable discovery happens unexpectedly
not when Serendipity requires a fortunate finding, not any lucky outcome.
- professional
an unexpected material gain arrives
not when Windfall is limited to benefits, often financial.
- formal
good fortune
positive chance is clear without slang
not when Good fortune sounds more elevated than ordinary luck.
Said against
3- misfortune
- bad luck
- certainty
It naturally appears in
3- good luck
Good luck placed an experienced mechanic on the same road.
- stroke of luck
A stroke of luck revealed the leak before the walls were closed.
- trust to luck
No safety plan should trust to luck when a simple check is available.
Where this comes from
- merriam-webster, noun sense 1a opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- merriam-webster, noun sense 2 opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.