luck out
To get really lucky and have something good happen to you — though in British English it can mean the opposite!
Meanings
(American English) To be very fortunate; to have a successful or positive outcome due to luck rather than skill.
"We really lucked out — the rain stopped just as the outdoor concert began."
""We lucked out with the weather.""
— Commonly attributed usage in American sports broadcasting and everyday speech; widely documented as standard American English idiom.
(British English) To be unlucky; to miss out on something desirable through bad fortune.
"I lucked out on tickets — they sold out before I got to the counter."
Important regional distinction: in American English, 'luck out' means to be fortunate; in British English, the same phrase can mean to be unlucky or miss out. ESL learners should be aware of this transatlantic difference. American usage is more widely encountered internationally.
Commonly used with
Forms
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Synonyms
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