bad luck
/bæd lʌk/
Meaning
Used to express sympathy when something unfortunate happens to someone, or to describe a situation where things went wrong due to chance. It shows you feel sorry for their misfortune.
Examples
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It was just bad luck that it rained on the day of our outdoor wedding.
It was just bad luck that it rained on the day of our outdoor wedding.
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You missed the bus by one second? Oh, bad luck!
You missed the bus by one second? Oh, bad luck!
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He has had a lot of bad luck with his cars recently.
He has had a lot of bad luck with his cars recently.
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Bad luck on losing the match, you guys played really well.
Bad luck on losing the match, you guys played really well.
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Some people believe that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck.
Some people believe that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck.
Common Mistakes
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✗ It is a bad luck.
✓ It is bad luck.
Since 'luck' is uncountable, do not use the indefinite article 'a' before 'bad luck'.
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✗ I have many bad lucks.
✓ I have bad luck.
'Luck' cannot be pluralized. Use 'bad luck' or 'a lot of bad luck' instead.
Related Expressions
Practice
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I lost my wallet on the subway. — Oh, ___! I hope you find it.
💡 Express sympathy for their unfortunate situation.
Show answer
bad luck
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It was pure ___ that our flight got canceled.
💡 It happened due to unfortunate chance.
Show answer
bad luck