Murphy's Law
Inevitable misfortune adage
Murphy's Law is the adage that anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
It's invoked to explain a run of bad luck or to acknowledge that problems tend to arise at the worst possible moments: We planned everything perfectly, but Murphy's Law kicked in.
The principle often appears as a wry observation about life's tendency toward mishap.
State of being unsure
- probabilityQuantified chance of occurrence
- likelihoodChance something will occur
- contingencyUncertain possible event
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
unpredictability · chance · variables · chaos theory · butterfly effect · randomness · entropy · backup plan
Mockery exposing vice
- ironyMeaning opposite to words
- witClever, inventive humor
- sarcasmIrony used to mock
- cynicismDistrust of human sincerity
wry · sardonic · rueful · gallows humor · dark comedy · self-deprecation · comic relief · schadenfreude
Failure to operate properly
- glitchMinor system fault
- breakdownFailure or decomposition
- fiascoHumiliating public failure
- debacleSudden, complete failure
snafu · blunder · mishap · botch · foul-up · snag · hiccup · wrench
Doctrine of inevitable outcomes
- gloomPervasive dimness or dejection
- cynicismDistrust of human sincerity
- defeatismAcceptance of inevitable failure
- negativityDisposition toward pessimism
skepticism · doubt · foreboding · worst-case thinking · expectation · dread · apprehension · resignation
Predetermined course of events
- destinyPredetermined course of events
- certaintyTotal absence of doubt
- unavoidabilityState of being certain
- inescapabilityState of being certain
predestination · determinism · doom · karma · providence · foregone conclusion · kismet · jinx
uncertainty
State of being unsure
- probabilityQuantified chance of occurrence
- likelihoodChance something will occur
- contingencyUncertain possible event
vulnerability · unpredictability · chance · variables · chaos theory · butterfly effect · randomness · entropy · backup plan · redundancy
satire
Mockery exposing vice
cynicism · wry · sardonic · rueful · gallows humor · dark comedy · self-deprecation · comic relief · schadenfreude · bittersweet
malfunction
Failure to operate properly
debacle · snafu · blunder · mishap · botch · foul-up · snag · hiccup · wrench · setback
fatalism
Doctrine of inevitable outcomes
- gloomPervasive dimness or dejection
- cynicismDistrust of human sincerity
- defeatismAcceptance of inevitable failure
negativity · skepticism · doubt · foreboding · worst-case thinking · expectation · dread · apprehension · resignation · wariness
fate
Predetermined course of events
- destinyPredetermined course of events
- certaintyTotal absence of doubt
- unavoidabilityState of being certain
inescapability · predestination · determinism · doom · karma · providence · foregone conclusion · kismet · jinx · curse
saying
Short, wise expression
axiom · dictum · truism · cliché · epigram · wisdom · folklore · byword · mantra · motto
- Adages
Murphy's Lawbest-case scenario
Most favorable potential outcome
optimism · positive thinking · law of attraction · glass half full · serendipity
Murphy's Lawserendipity
Accidental fortunate discovery
good fortune · lucky streak · beginner's luck · guardian angel · charmed life
Murphy's Lawfail-safe
Automatic harm prevention mechanism
foolproof · redundancy · Swiss precision · German engineering · clockwork
law, lawyer, laws, lawful, lawless, lawyers, lawfully, bylaw, lawfulness