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bad luck
/bæd lʌk/
unfortunate circumstances
I had bad luck with my car breaking down on the highway.
This means the speaker experienced an unfortunate situation where their car stopped working unexpectedly.
informal
Unfavorable or unfortunate circumstances or events that happen to someone.
She blamed her bad luck for failing the exam.
She attributed her failure to unfortunate events beyond her control.
He always says he has bad luck with relationships.
He often experiences difficulties or misfortune in romantic relationships.
This phrase is commonly used to describe situations where someone experiences misfortune or unfortunate events.
Collocations
have bad luckto experience misfortuneblame on bad luckto attribute misfortune to external circumstances
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Usage
'Bad luck' is often used to express sympathy or to explain why something went wrong. It can also be used humorously or sarcastically.
Gold Rule
Context Matters
The phrase is generally used in informal contexts. In formal writing, you might use synonyms like 'misfortune' or 'unfortunate circumstances'.
Word Origin
The phrase 'bad luck' combines the adjective 'bad' (meaning unfavorable or unfortunate) with the noun 'luck' (meaning fortune or chance). It has been used in English since at least the 16th century.
Usage Notes
This phrase is commonly used in informal contexts to describe unfortunate events or situations. It can be used to express sympathy or to explain why something went wrong.
Word Breakdown
bad
unfavorable or unfortunate
adjectiveluck
fortune or chance
nounEnglish Dictionary