luckless

American

[luhk-lis] / ˈlʌk lɪs /

adjective

having no luck; unfortunate; hapless; ill-fated; turning out or ending disastrously.

a luckless venture that ruined many of the investors.

luckless British

/ ˈlʌklɪs /

adjective

having no luck; unlucky

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of luckless

First recorded in 1555–65; luck + -less

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

luckless

Subtitled “An Almost History of America” and arriving on the eve of the nation’s semiquincentennial, this seven-episode sketch comedy comes from Larry David, television’s great luckless crank, and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026

After his luckless crash with Piastri, in a multiple collision, in the earlier sprint race won by Verstappen, Norris was philosophical.

From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2025

Being luckless in love is commonplace these days.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2025

After the luckless Wood repeatedly passed the edge, it was Woakes who got the crucial wicket of Hodge in an excellent spell late in the day.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2024

Puzzled and luckless, she dragged herself home clutching stalks of anything that blossomed along the edges of lots and other people’s gardens.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023