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.

plural

luckies

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

"I beat cancer twice but I'm not going to get a third time lucky."

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

Surely they were lucky that star Kevin Durant didn’t play in two of these three games, including missing Friday’s Game 3 with a sprained ankle.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

But Apple Intelligence hints at a more distant threat to Apple, one that will fall on Ternus’s plate should he be lucky enough to match Cook’s CEO tenure.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

It will be lucky to complete five missions where it was once envisioned as the nation’s workhorse heavy lifter before SpaceX came along.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

“You’re lucky, you know. At least you have a house.”

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Related Words

• fortuitous
• happy
• hot
• successful