Good luck idioms are fascinating expressions that have been passed down through generations, carrying with them the hopes, dreams, and superstitions of countless cultures around the world. These colorful phrases don’t always mean exactly what their individual words suggest, but they serve as powerful linguistic tools that help us express our deepest wishes for fortune, success, and positive outcomes in life’s many endeavors. Understanding and using these idioms can significantly enhance your communication skills while connecting you to rich cultural traditions that span centuries of human experience.
Fortune-related idioms are particularly valuable in our daily conversations because they allow us to offer encouragement, express optimism, and share positive energy with others in memorable and impactful ways. These expressions often carry deeper meanings about perseverance, preparation, and maintaining a positive attitude even when facing uncertainty or challenges. In this comprehensive article, you’ll discover fifty popular idioms related to good luck, their detailed meanings, practical examples of how to use them in real-life situations, and alternative ways to express similar sentiments. You’ll also find an engaging exercise section to help you practice and internalize these valuable expressions, making them a natural part of your vocabulary for years to come.
Idioms for Good Luck
1. Break a leg
Meaning: A way to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance or important event, despite the seemingly negative words used in the expression. In a Sentence: Before Sarah walked onto the stage for her piano recital, her music teacher smiled warmly and whispered, “Break a leg out there, and remember to enjoy every moment of your performance.” Other Ways to Say: Good luck, Best wishes, Knock ’em dead
2. Knock on wood
Meaning: An expression used to avoid tempting fate after making a positive statement about one’s fortune or to prevent bad luck from occurring. In a Sentence: “I haven’t been sick all year, knock on wood,” said Marcus while actually tapping his knuckles on the wooden desk beside him. Other Ways to Say: Touch wood, Heaven forbid, God willing
3. Cross your fingers
Meaning: To hope for good luck or a positive outcome by literally crossing your index finger over your middle finger as a superstitious gesture. In a Sentence: Emily crossed her fingers tightly behind her back as she waited for the teacher to announce the winner of the science fair competition. Other Ways to Say: Keep your fingers crossed, Hope for the best, Wish for luck
4. Lucky break
Meaning: An unexpected opportunity or fortunate event that leads to success or positive outcomes, often happening at just the right moment. In a Sentence: Getting discovered by that talent scout at the local coffee shop was exactly the lucky break that Maria needed to launch her singing career. Other Ways to Say: Stroke of luck, Golden opportunity, Fortunate chance
5. Born under a lucky star
Meaning: To be naturally fortunate throughout life, as if destined for good things to happen from the moment of birth. In a Sentence: Everyone said that James was born under a lucky star because he always seemed to land on his feet no matter what challenges life threw his way. Other Ways to Say: Born lucky, Naturally fortunate, Blessed from birth
6. Third time’s the charm
Meaning: The belief that after two unsuccessful attempts, the third try will be successful and bring the desired result. In a Sentence: After failing his driving test twice, David took a deep breath and reminded himself that third time’s the charm as he prepared for his final attempt. Other Ways to Say: Third time lucky, Try again, Success on the third attempt
7. Lucky stars are shining
Meaning: Everything is going well and fortune is smiling upon someone, creating perfect conditions for success and happiness. In a Sentence: With her new job offer, perfect apartment, and blooming romance, Jennifer felt like her lucky stars were definitely shining brightly this month. Other Ways to Say: Fortune is smiling, Everything’s going right, Luck is on your side
8. Touch wood
Meaning: Similar to “knock on wood,” this expression is used to prevent bad luck after mentioning something positive or fortunate. In a Sentence: “Our family vacation has been absolutely perfect so far, touch wood,” grandmother said while patting the wooden railing on the hotel balcony. Other Ways to Say: Knock on wood, God willing, Heaven forbid
9. Fortune favors the bold
Meaning: Those who take risks and act courageously are more likely to achieve success and experience good luck than those who play it safe. In a Sentence: When Rebecca decided to quit her stable job to start her own business, she remembered her father’s advice that fortune favors the bold. Other Ways to Say: Luck rewards courage, Take risks for success, Be brave for fortune
10. Lady Luck is smiling
Meaning: Personifying luck as a benevolent female figure who is currently blessing someone with good fortune and positive outcomes. In a Sentence: After winning three games in a row at the casino, Tony grinned and declared that Lady Luck was definitely smiling on him tonight. Other Ways to Say: Fortune is favorable, Luck is on your side, Good fortune is present
11. Strike it lucky
Meaning: To suddenly experience unexpected good fortune or success, often in a dramatic or significant way that changes one’s circumstances. In a Sentence: The struggling artist finally struck it lucky when a famous gallery owner discovered her paintings at a small local exhibition. Other Ways to Say: Hit the jackpot, Strike gold, Find fortune
12. Lucky as a rabbit’s foot
Meaning: To be extremely fortunate, referring to the traditional belief that carrying a rabbit’s foot brings good luck to the owner. In a Sentence: Ever since he started carrying his grandfather’s old rabbit’s foot keychain, Michael felt as lucky as a rabbit’s foot in all his endeavors. Other Ways to Say: Extremely fortunate, Very lucky, Blessed with good fortune
13. Beginner’s luck
Meaning: The phenomenon where someone new to an activity experiences unexpected success on their first attempts, often surprising more experienced participants. In a Sentence: Sarah had never played poker before, but her beginner’s luck helped her win three hands in a row against seasoned players. Other Ways to Say: Newcomer’s fortune, First-time success, Fresh start advantage
14. Lucky charm
Meaning: An object believed to bring good fortune to its owner, often carried or worn as a protective talisman against bad luck. In a Sentence: The silver bracelet her grandmother gave her served as Jessica’s lucky charm during every important exam and job interview. Other Ways to Say: Good luck charm, Talisman, Fortune bringer
15. Lucky penny
Meaning: Finding a penny, especially heads up, is considered a sign of incoming good luck and positive fortune in many cultures. In a Sentence: When Amanda spotted a shiny penny on the sidewalk just before her college interview, she picked it up and whispered a quiet thanks for the lucky penny. Other Ways to Say: Found fortune, Lucky coin, Small blessing
16. Stars align
Meaning: When circumstances come together perfectly to create ideal conditions for success, as if cosmic forces are working in harmony. In a Sentence: Everything seemed to fall into place for their wedding day, as if the stars had aligned to make their celebration absolutely perfect. Other Ways to Say: Perfect timing, Everything falls into place, Cosmic harmony
17. Lucky streak
Meaning: A period of continuous good fortune where multiple positive events happen in succession, creating momentum for success. In a Sentence: After getting promoted, winning a contest, and meeting her future husband all in the same month, Lisa was definitely on a lucky streak. Other Ways to Say: Run of good luck, Winning streak, Fortunate period
18. Golden opportunity
Meaning: An extremely favorable chance for success that doesn’t come often and should be seized immediately when it presents itself. In a Sentence: The scholarship offer to study abroad was exactly the golden opportunity that David had been dreaming about for years. Other Ways to Say: Perfect chance, Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Ideal moment
19. Fortune smiles upon you
Meaning: A formal way of saying that good luck is currently favoring someone, bringing them success and positive outcomes. In a Sentence: After years of hard work and dedication, it finally seemed that fortune was smiling upon the young entrepreneur’s new business venture. Other Ways to Say: Luck is with you, Good fortune blesses you, Success is yours
20. Lightning in a bottle
Meaning: Capturing something magical, rare, or extraordinarily lucky that cannot be easily repeated or replicated by others. In a Sentence: The band’s first album was pure lightning in a bottle, combining perfect timing, talent, and luck to create an unforgettable masterpiece. Other Ways to Say: Rare magic, Unrepeatable success, Miraculous achievement
21. Lucky duck
Meaning: An affectionate term for someone who consistently experiences good fortune, often used playfully to acknowledge their success. In a Sentence: “You’re such a lucky duck,” Maria laughed as her friend won yet another raffle prize at the community festival. Other Ways to Say: Fortunate one, Lucky person, Blessed individual
22. Hit the lottery
Meaning: To experience extremely good fortune, not necessarily involving actual lottery winnings, but achieving something highly improbable and beneficial. In a Sentence: Landing a job at her dream company right after graduation made Jenny feel like she had hit the lottery. Other Ways to Say: Strike it rich, Win big, Achieve the impossible
23. Blessed with good fortune
Meaning: Having a natural tendency to experience positive outcomes and lucky breaks throughout life’s various endeavors and challenges. In a Sentence: Throughout her entire career, the successful businesswoman felt truly blessed with good fortune in both her professional and personal relationships. Other Ways to Say: Naturally lucky, Favored by fate, Gifted with luck
24. Lucky star
Meaning: A personal source of good fortune that seems to guide and protect someone through life’s ups and downs. In a Sentence: Ever since childhood, Robert felt like his lucky star was watching over him, helping him through difficult times and celebrating his victories. Other Ways to Say: Guardian angel, Protective force, Guiding light
25. Fortune cookie wisdom
Meaning: Receiving good advice or positive predictions that seem to bring luck, inspired by the traditional Chinese-American fortune cookie custom. In a Sentence: The encouraging message from the fortune cookie seemed to predict exactly the good news that arrived in Sandra’s email the very next day. Other Ways to Say: Prophetic advice, Lucky guidance, Positive prediction
26. Catch a falling star
Meaning: To seize a rare and magical opportunity that brings extraordinary luck and fulfillment to one’s life. In a Sentence: Meeting her soulmate at exactly the right moment felt like catching a falling star, a once-in-a-lifetime miracle. Other Ways to Say: Seize magic, Capture wonder, Grasp the extraordinary
27. Four-leaf clover
Meaning: Representing extremely rare good luck, based on the traditional belief that finding this uncommon plant variation brings special fortune. In a Sentence: Discovering the rare four-leaf clover in her garden seemed to mark the beginning of the most fortunate year of Patricia’s entire life. Other Ways to Say: Rare blessing, Special fortune, Unique luck
28. Lucky number seven
Meaning: Referring to the widespread cultural belief that the number seven brings special good fortune and positive energy. In a Sentence: Choosing apartment number seven turned out to be perfect for the newlyweds, as if their lucky number seven was guiding their new beginning. Other Ways to Say: Magical number, Fortunate digit, Special numeral
29. Wish upon a star
Meaning: Making a heartfelt wish while looking at a star, believing it will bring good luck and help dreams come true. In a Sentence: Every night before her audition, the aspiring actress would wish upon a star, hoping for the luck she needed to achieve her dreams. Other Ways to Say: Make a wish, Hope on high, Dream to the heavens
30. Lucky horseshoe
Meaning: A traditional symbol of good fortune that, when hung properly, is believed to collect and hold luck for its owner. In a Sentence: The antique lucky horseshoe hanging above their front door seemed to welcome prosperity and joy into their family home. Other Ways to Say: Fortune symbol, Luck bringer, Protective charm
31. Shooting star luck
Meaning: The rare and magical good fortune associated with witnessing a shooting star and making a wish at that perfect moment. In a Sentence: Seeing the shooting star on the night before her wedding felt like a sign of incredible shooting star luck for their future together. Other Ways to Say: Celestial fortune, Cosmic blessing, Stellar luck
32. Roll the dice
Meaning: To take a chance and trust in luck to determine the outcome, often when facing uncertainty or making important decisions. In a Sentence: Deciding to move across the country for a new opportunity meant that Kevin had to roll the dice and trust that luck would favor his bold choice. Other Ways to Say: Take a chance, Trust fate, Gamble on fortune
33. Lucky in love
Meaning: Having good fortune specifically in romantic relationships, finding true love, or maintaining happy partnerships throughout life. In a Sentence: Despite her struggles with career decisions, everyone agreed that Michelle was definitely lucky in love with her devoted and caring husband. Other Ways to Say: Blessed in romance, Fortunate in relationships, Favored by Cupid
34. Born under a good sign
Meaning: Astrologically blessed with favorable planetary influences that bring natural luck and positive energy throughout life. In a Sentence: The astrologer told Marcus that he was clearly born under a good sign, explaining his natural ability to turn challenges into opportunities. Other Ways to Say: Astrologically blessed, Cosmically favored, Celestially lucky
35. Lucky break in the clouds
Meaning: A moment when circumstances suddenly improve, like sunshine breaking through storm clouds, bringing hope and good fortune. In a Sentence: After months of job searching, the unexpected phone call from her dream company was exactly the lucky break in the clouds that Sarah needed. Other Ways to Say: Silver lining, Ray of hope, Fortunate turn
36. Seven years of good luck
Meaning: A long period of sustained good fortune, often referenced in contrast to superstitions about bad luck periods. In a Sentence: After successfully avoiding the broken mirror, Thomas joked that he was now guaranteed seven years of good luck ahead. Other Ways to Say: Extended fortune, Long-term blessing, Sustained success
37. Lucky encounter
Meaning: A chance meeting or unexpected event that leads to positive outcomes, opportunities, or beneficial relationships in one’s life. In a Sentence: Meeting her future business partner in the coffee shop line was the lucky encounter that changed the course of Linda’s entrepreneurial dreams. Other Ways to Say: Fortunate meeting, Serendipitous event, Blessed coincidence
38. Luck of the draw
Meaning: Accepting that chance and random fortune play important roles in determining outcomes, especially in fair competitions or selections. In a Sentence: Being selected for the coveted internship was simply the luck of the draw, but Janet was grateful for the opportunity nonetheless. Other Ways to Say: Random fortune, Chance selection, Fair lottery
39. Lucky timing
Meaning: When events occur at exactly the right moment to create the most favorable outcomes possible for all involved parties. In a Sentence: Arriving at the job fair just as the hiring manager was looking for someone with her exact skills was purely lucky timing. Other Ways to Say: Perfect timing, Ideal moment, Synchronized fortune
40. Fortunate twist of fate
Meaning: An unexpected turn of events that, despite seeming problematic initially, leads to surprisingly positive and beneficial outcomes. In a Sentence: Missing her original flight due to traffic turned out to be a fortunate twist of fate when she met her future husband on the later departure. Other Ways to Say: Lucky turn, Beneficial surprise, Positive plot twist
41. Lucky fish
Meaning: In many cultures, fish symbolize abundance and good fortune, representing prosperity and positive energy flowing into one’s life. In a Sentence: The golden koi swimming in the garden pond were considered lucky fish that would bring wealth and happiness to the household. Other Ways to Say: Fortunate symbol, Prosperity sign, Abundance token
42. Lucky bamboo
Meaning: A plant traditionally believed to bring good luck, positive energy, and prosperity to homes and workplaces where it grows. In a Sentence: The small lucky bamboo plant on her desk seemed to bring positive energy to all of Monica’s important business meetings and decisions. Other Ways to Say: Fortune plant, Prosperity bamboo, Good luck greenery
43. Lucky to be alive
Meaning: Feeling grateful and fortunate to have survived a dangerous situation or overcome significant challenges that could have had worse outcomes. In a Sentence: After walking away from the car accident with only minor scratches, David felt incredibly lucky to be alive and grateful for every moment. Other Ways to Say: Blessed to survive, Fortunate to endure, Grateful for life
44. Lucky coincidence
Meaning: A remarkable occurrence where unrelated events happen simultaneously to create unexpectedly positive results or opportunities for success. In a Sentence: Running into her college professor at the conference was a lucky coincidence that led to an amazing job opportunity she never could have imagined. Other Ways to Say: Fortunate chance, Beneficial synchronicity, Serendipitous event
45. Lucky escape
Meaning: Successfully avoiding danger, trouble, or negative consequences through good fortune rather than careful planning or skill alone. In a Sentence: Leaving the building just minutes before the fire alarm went off was definitely a lucky escape that she would remember forever. Other Ways to Say: Narrow miss, Fortunate avoidance, Close call with luck
46. Lucky find
Meaning: Discovering something valuable, useful, or beneficial by chance rather than through deliberate searching or planning efforts. In a Sentence: The rare antique vase at the garage sale was an incredible lucky find that turned out to be worth thousands of dollars. Other Ways to Say: Fortunate discovery, Chance treasure, Accidental gem
47. Lucky guess
Meaning: Making a correct assumption or giving the right answer without having complete information, relying on intuition and good fortune. In a Sentence: His lucky guess about the final exam question helped him pass the course with the grade he needed for graduation. Other Ways to Say: Fortunate assumption, Intuitive answer, Chance correctness
48. Lucky day
Meaning: A day when everything seems to go right, multiple positive events occur, and good fortune appears to favor all activities and endeavors. In a Sentence: From finding money on the street to receiving a promotion at work, Tuesday was definitely Maria’s lucky day in every possible way. Other Ways to Say: Fortunate day, Blessed day, Perfect day
49. Lucky shot
Meaning: Achieving success through a combination of skill and fortunate circumstances, often in sports or competitive situations requiring precision. In a Sentence: The basketball player’s lucky shot from half-court at the buzzer won the championship game in the most dramatic fashion possible. Other Ways to Say: Fortunate attempt, Chance success, Skilled luck
50. Lucky hand
Meaning: Having good fortune in card games, gambling, or any activity involving chance, as if fate is guiding the cards in your favor. In a Sentence: Throughout the entire poker tournament, Jennifer seemed to have a lucky hand that helped her advance to the final table. Other Ways to Say: Fortunate cards, Blessed deal, Winning hand
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words to complete these good luck idioms:
- Before her big performance, the director told the nervous actress to “break a _______” and give her best effort on stage tonight.
- “I haven’t had any car trouble all year, knock on _______,” said Tom while tapping the wooden dashboard of his reliable vehicle.
- Sarah kept her _______ crossed during the entire job interview, hoping that her qualifications would impress the hiring committee.
- After years of struggling to make it in Hollywood, landing the lead role was exactly the lucky _______ that Jake had been waiting for.
- Everyone said that the successful entrepreneur was born under a lucky _______, always finding success despite challenging circumstances.
- “_______ time’s the charm,” encouraged his coach after the young athlete failed to clear the high jump bar twice in a row.
- With her new promotion and perfect apartment, it seemed like Jennifer’s lucky _______ were shining brightly on her life this month.
- The vintage _______ horseshoe hanging above their doorway was believed to bring good fortune to everyone who entered the house.
- Making a wish upon a _______ became her nightly ritual before every important exam or life-changing event throughout her school years.
- Finding a rare four-leaf _______ in the meadow seemed to mark the beginning of the most fortunate period of his entire life.
- The unexpected meeting with her future business partner was the lucky _______ that completely changed the direction of her career path.
- Being chosen for the scholarship was simply the luck of the _______, but she was incredibly grateful for the amazing opportunity it provided.
Answers: leg, wood, fingers, break, star, Third, stars, lucky, star, clover, encounter, draw
Conclusion
Good luck idioms represent a fascinating intersection of language, culture, and human psychology, revealing our universal desire to influence fate and attract positive outcomes through the power of words and traditional wisdom. These expressions serve as more than mere linguistic curiosities; they function as cultural bridges that connect us to generations of people who have faced uncertainty with hope, optimism, and the belief that fortune can be courted through proper attitude and preparation.
Understanding and incorporating these idioms into your daily communication will not only enrich your vocabulary but also provide you with culturally appropriate ways to offer encouragement, express hope, and connect with others during times of uncertainty and anticipation. The beauty of these expressions lies in their ability to convey complex emotions and cultural beliefs in memorable, often playful packages that stick in our minds and hearts long after they’re spoken.
Practice using these good luck idioms in conversations with friends, family members, and colleagues, and notice how they can lighten moods, build connections, and spread positive energy in both casual and formal settings. Remember that language is a living, breathing entity that grows stronger and more vibrant when we actively engage with its rich traditions and cultural expressions, making these time-tested phrases a valuable addition to your communication toolkit for years to come.