lucky

[luhk-ee]

adjective, luck·i·er, luck·i·est.

having or marked by good luck; fortunate: That was my lucky day.
happening fortunately: a lucky accident.
bringing or foretelling good luck, or supposed to do so: a lucky penny.

Origin of lucky

First recorded in 1495–1505; luck + -y¹

Related formsluck·i·ness, noun

Synonyms for lucky

1. favored. 3. auspicious, propitious, favorable.

Synonym study

1. See fortunate.

Antonyms for lucky

1. unfortunate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for luckier

successful, hot, fortuitous, happy, advantageous, adventitious, auspicious, beneficial, benign, blessed, charmed, favored, felicitous, golden, hopeful, promising, propitious, prosperous, timely, well

Examples from the Web for luckier

Contemporary Examples of luckier

She was luckier than Kim Chol, vice minister of the army, who was executed with a mortar round in October 2012.
Kim Jong-un’s Ex-Lover Reportedly ‘Executed by Firing Squad’
The Telegraph
August 30, 2013
One 17-year-old male lost a forearm in 2012, while a 20-year-old was luckier and escaped with a just bite to his ankle.
Fireworks, Lightning, Riding Lawnmowers and Other Summer Menaces
Trevor Butterworth
July 9, 2013
They were luckier than the seven who were shot on this same corer in February.
Chicago Gangs Go ‘Wilding’ Amid Rising Gun Violence in Obama’s Hometown
Michael Daly
August 31, 2012
Lev, the son of a Moscow intelligentsia family, was luckier than the fictional Ivan Denisovich.
‘Just Send Me Word’ by Orlando Figes: Life and Love in the Gulag
Owen Matthews
June 10, 2012
She was luckier than most, though, in that she was—relatively speaking—quickly diagnosed.
A Stroke That Hits Young Women
Nicole LaPorte
July 28, 2010

Historical Examples of luckier

She was luckier than her colleague La Rouche, who was far too good-natured with people.
Fruitfulness
Emile Zola
Don't you think some men are luckier than others, Mr. Ferguson?
The Young Miner
Horatio Alger, Jr.
"It would 'a' been luckier if they hadn't hit him at all, Quint," answered Jumbo dryly.
Oh, You Tex!
William Macleod Raine
Evidently the last numbers had been carried off by luckier travellers.
The Triumph Of Night
Edith Wharton
She was luckier than the Dutchman, as we got a breeze off the land about an hour after I boarded her.
For Treasure Bound
Harry Collingwood

British Dictionary definitions for luckier

lucky

adjective luckier or luckiest

having or bringing good fortune
happening by chance, esp as desired

Derived Formsluckily, adverbluckiness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for luckier

lucky

adj.

mid-15c., of persons; 1540s, of actions or objects, "likely to bring luck;" from luck + -y (2). Meaning "occurring by chance" is 1590s. Related: Luckier; luckiest; luckiness. Lucky break is attested from 1884 in billiards; 1872 as "failure or break-down which turns out to be fortunate." Lucky Strike as the name of a brand of cigarettes (originally chewing tobacco) popular mid-20c. is said to date from 1871; popular from 1935 when the brand’s maker picked up sponsorship of "Your Hit Parade" on radio.

Idioms and Phrases with luckier

lucky

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