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

• luckily
  adverb
• luckiness
  noun

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

Lucky for the TV world, they can flex built-in advantages over phone- and app-makers.

From Slate • May 3, 2026

A young Clara Baldwin appears with her dog, Lucky.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

Also in Tuesday night's draw, one UK winner matched all five main numbers and one Lucky Star to win £355,164.90 - another winner scooped £16,601.50 by matching the five main numbers.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

Lucky for her, her husband, Mark, is a cop; unlucky for her, he’s played by Joel McHale.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

“You should know, Lupita, that he doesn’t like the name Lucio. He asked me to call him Lucky from now on.”

From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty

Related Words

• fortuitous
• happy
• hot
• successful