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Synonyms

hard luck

Idioms  

  1. Misfortune, adversity, as in He's had a lot of hard luck in his day. This expression is also used in the phrase hard-luck story, a tale of one's misfortune that is related in order to get sympathy (or a donation). For example, We can't ignore her hard-luck story, even if you doubt that it's true. [Second half of 1500s] Also see tough break.

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.

This year’s squad has also had some hard luck, with two starters missing the ACC Tournament through injury.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

Tidewater gobies are a hardy fish fallen on hard luck.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2025

But after scoring only 59 and losing eight wickets in the last 10 overs of their own innings, England cannot put this defeat down to the conditions or any kind of hard luck.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2023

Its fifth-place finish last season was a hard luck story, falling out of a Champions League place only on the last day.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 8, 2021

“At the junction of hard luck and bad times,” I answer.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.