bad luck
Fortune's cruel turn
Bad luck is misfortune or unfavorable circumstances beyond one's control.
It can describe a single unfortunate event What bad luck to get a flat tire on the way to the interview or a persistent pattern of setbacks He's had nothing but bad luck since moving here.
The phrase often expresses sympathy: Bad luck, mate.
Severe difficulty or suffering
- misfortuneAdverse circumstance or event
- calamitySevere misfortune or disaster
- setbackReverse in progress
- hardshipSuffering from difficult circumstances
mishap · disaster · tragedy · catastrophe · ill-fated · unfortunate · woe · plight
Dark-coated feline
- broken mirrorDamaged reflective pane
- ladderPortable climbing frame
- Friday the 13thDate considered ill-omened
- saltSodium chloride compound
curse · hex · jinx · evil eye · horseshoe · rabbit's foot · four-leaf clover · knock on wood
Invoked harm through words
- hexMalevolent incantation
- jinxCurse bringing misfortune
- hoodooFolk magic tradition
- voodooFolk magic, often Caribbean
spell · witchcraft · sorcery · black magic · bewitched · cursed · hexed · enchanted
Fearful anticipation of harm
- portentousOminously significant
- inauspiciousShowing poor prospects
- ill-starredFated to fail
- doomUnavoidable grim fate
dire · grim · unpropitious · warning · premonition · harbinger · sinister · menacing
adversity
Severe difficulty or suffering
- misfortuneAdverse circumstance or event
- calamitySevere misfortune or disaster
- setbackReverse in progress
hardship · mishap · disaster · tragedy · catastrophe · ill-fated · unfortunate · woe · plight · downturn
black cat
Dark-coated feline
- broken mirrorDamaged reflective pane
- ladderPortable climbing frame
- Friday the 13thDate considered ill-omened
salt · curse · hex · jinx · evil eye · horseshoe · rabbit's foot · four-leaf clover · knock on wood · crossed fingers
curse
Invoked harm through words
voodoo · spell · witchcraft · sorcery · black magic · bewitched · cursed · hexed · enchanted · mojo
foreboding
Fearful anticipation of harm
- portentousOminously significant
- inauspiciousShowing poor prospects
- ill-starredFated to fail
doom · dire · grim · unpropitious · warning · premonition · harbinger · sinister · menacing · baleful
- folk beliefssuperstition, superstitions, folk beliefs, omens, old wives tales
- luckluckily, good fortune, misfortune, fortune smiles, fortune favors
- setbacksfailing, back to square one, stuck, losing, stumbles
- superstitionblack cat, broken mirror, Friday the 13th, walking under ladder, evil eye
- superstitionssuperstition, superstitions, hexes, black cats, broken mirror
- Murphy's Lawmisfortune, worst case, mishaps, fails, snafus
bad luckgood luck
Favorable chance or fortune
good fortune · fortune · blessing · luck · stroke of luck
bad luckhard work
Sustained strenuous effort
skill · merit · planning · preparation · just deserts
bad luckblessing
Prayer seeking divine favor
divine favor · providence · grace · kismet · auspiciousness
bad, luck, lucky, badly, unlucky, badness, luckless, luckier, luckiest