lucky

¹ American  

[luhk-ee] / ˈlʌk i /

adjective

luckier, luckiest

1. having or marked by good luck; fortunate.

   That was my lucky day.

   Synonyms:

   blessed

   Antonyms:

   unfortunate

2. happening fortunately.

   a lucky accident.

3. bringing or foretelling good luck, or supposed to do so.

   a lucky penny.

   Synonyms:

   favorable, propitious, auspicious

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lucky ² American  

[luhk-ee] / ˈlʌk i /

Or luckie

noun

Scot.

luckies plural

1. a familiar name applied to an elderly woman, especially a grandmother; granny.

2. a familiar name applied to a woman, as one's wife or a barmaid.

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lucky British  

/ ˈlʌkɪ /

adjective

1. having or bringing good fortune

2. happening by chance, esp as desired

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lucky Idioms  

1. see born under a lucky star; strike it rich (lucky); thank one's lucky stars.

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Usage

What are other ways to say lucky? Someone or something that is lucky has or is marked by good luck. How is lucky different from happy or fortunate? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• luckily
  adverb
• luckiness
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• luckies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lucky¹

First recorded in 1495–1505; luck + -y ¹

Origin of lucky²

First recorded in 1710–20; luck + -y ²

Explanation

When you're lucky, things work out well for you — you experience good fortune. If you're feeling lucky, it might be a good day to buy a lottery ticket or guess the number of jelly beans in a jar. Lucky people seem to have everything going for them, and your lucky charm (like a rabbit's foot or a four-leaf clover) seems to bring that kind of success in your direction. Some lucky things are happy coincidences: "How lucky that I ran into you this morning!" When you're envious of someone else's big break, you can say, "You lucky devil." Lucky and luck come from the Middle Dutch gheluc, "good fortune."

Example Sentences

Hardly anyone is going to read the full SpaceX listing prospectus — which may be lucky for the company.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

American investors are lucky on many counts, including the fact that investing in that index has been a way to automatically put eggs in many baskets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

For the 5,500 local fans with tickets to attend -- the lucky ones among a lottery entered by 33,000 -- optimism for the tournament about to kick off in their backyard was even brighter.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

A San Diego man said he felt lucky to be alive and recovering at home this week after surviving a grizzly bear attack at Glacier National Park on May 28.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

“Well, the next time someone wrinkles your lucky shirt, you’ll still have an ‘iwa to guide your way.”

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

Related Words

• fortuitous
• happy
• hot
• successful