Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

out of luck

Idioms  

  1. Having bad fortune, experiencing a misfortune, as in You're out of luck if you want a copy; we just sold the last one. This expression, first recorded in 1867, assumes that good fortune is a finite quantity that one can run out of. However, it generally applies to more temporary circumstances than being down on one's luck.

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.

It was late, and if I didn’t hustle, the mess hall would be closed, and I’d be out of luck.

From Literature

“I have a solid guess what that is, although trust me, I’m really hoping I’m wrong. But judging from the stink eye you’re giving me, I’m guessing I’m out of luck.”

From Literature

Multiple cast members have confirmed some version of the same thing: if you were late to breakfast, you were out of luck.

From Salon

If you hadn’t already purchased a travel-insurance policy before this week’s events, you are likely out of luck.

From The Wall Street Journal

If no Roth option is available, workers making over $150,000 in 2025 wanting to make catch-up contributions will be out of luck.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.