Definitions

bad luck

NOUN

rotten break

Synonyms

STRONGEST

adversity hard time hardship misfortune setback tragedy

WEAK

bad break blow devil's own luck hard cheese hard luck ill luck mischance raw deal reverse rotten luck tough break tough luck

Antonyms

STRONGEST

advantage blessing boon favor success

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In March, Nestlé showed that it’s adroit enough to bounce back from some bad luck.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

She treats him compassionately, seeing him as a person with an unusually difficult background, and wants us to relate to him as though, given similar bad luck, we could easily be in his position.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

If you have the bad luck of experiencing a market downturn at the outset, your slope of growth will forever be lower.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

The superstition goes that the leader must burn off bad luck, leaving only good fortune for the mission.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

“Eric is meeting us there,” Caroline said, “since it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.”

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat

bad luck

Example Sentences

Related Words