lucky
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /lˈʌki/
US
- /ˈləki/
Description
- fortunate
- favored by chance
- unexpectedly successful
- blessed
Being lucky is not just about finding a four-leaf clover. It means that something good happens by chance, or that life seems to go well for someone in a special moment. A sailor might feel lucky to have calm seas, while a student might feel lucky to get an easy question on a hard exam. Sometimes, "lucky" describes a person who seems to have good things happen again and again, like a character in a story who always escapes danger at the last second. The word often points to chance, but people also use it when someone gets a good result at just the right time.
"Lucky" is a word we use when something good happens by chance or when a person seems to be favored by events. It usually suggests that the result was not fully planned or earned through effort alone. For example, saying, "She was lucky to find a parking spot downtown," means the space opened up at just the right moment.
You might describe someone as "lucky" if they win the lottery, avoid an accident, find something they had lost, or meet the right person at the right time. We also use it for smaller everyday moments: a team gets a point from a strange bounce, a traveler catches the last train, or a child picks the one toy with a prize inside. In all of these cases, the idea is the same: a good outcome arrived in a way that feels partly outside the person's control.
However, "lucky" can also be used in a slightly critical or ironic way. If someone makes a careless mistake but avoids trouble, you might say, "They were just lucky." In that case, the word suggests that success came from chance, not skill. People also use the word in warm, hopeful ways, as in "good luck," before a test, a game, an interview, or a journey.
The word can describe big life events or very small ones, and it fits both serious and playful situations. In stories, conversation, and everyday speech, "lucky" captures the feeling that chance has briefly smiled on someone.
Examples
- 1
Weather
We were lucky: the rain stopped just before the picnic.
- 2
Injury
You're lucky you weren't hurt.
- 3
Parking
I was lucky to find a parking space near the station.
- 4
Helpful knowledge
We're lucky that Maria knows how to fix it.
- 5
Limited seats
We were lucky enough to get the last two seats.
Pattern
lucky enough to do something
lucky in a way that makes something possible
- 6
Hopeful outcome
If you're lucky, the line will move quickly.
- 7
Exams
She has always been lucky with exams.
Pattern
lucky with something
often having good results in that area
- 8
Tickets
We got lucky and found tickets at the door.
Phrase
get lucky
have something good happen by chance
- 9
Career chance
That phone call was a lucky break for his career.
Phrase
lucky break
an unexpected chance that helps you
- 10
Narrow escape
They had a lucky escape when the car stopped just before the cliff.
Phrase
lucky escape
a situation where someone avoids danger only just
- 11
Spoken reaction
"I found $20 on the street." "Lucky you!"
Phrase
Lucky you!
used when someone else has had good luck
- 12
Lucky charm
He keeps a small stone in his bag as a lucky charm.
Phrase
lucky charm
an object someone believes brings good luck
Forms and spellings
3 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- luckyadjective
Forms
- luckiestsuperlativeadjective
- luckiercomparativeadjective