hard luck
When fortune frowns
Hard luck is misfortune, especially the persistent kind that seems to follow someone around.
A hard-luck story is a tale of woe, often told to elicit sympathy or money.
Someone down on their luck might be called a hard-luck case.
The phrase hard luck by itself can express commiseration: You didn't get the job? Hard luck.
Reverse in progress
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
- bad breakUnfortunate turn of events
- tough luckDismissive acknowledgment of misfortune
- ill-fortunePersistent bad luck
misadventure · rotten luck · rough patch · losing streak · jinx · unlucky · snake eyes · reversal
Pitiful excuse for sympathy
- condolencesExpressions of grief support
- compassionConcern for others' distress
- empathySharing another's emotions
- pitySympathy for misfortune
consolation · commiseration · understanding · support · solace · tough break · reassurance · concern
setback
Reverse in progress
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
- bad breakUnfortunate turn of events
- tough luckDismissive acknowledgment of misfortune
ill-fortune · misadventure · rotten luck · rough patch · losing streak · jinx · unlucky · snake eyes · reversal · downturn
sob story
Pitiful excuse for sympathy
- condolencesExpressions of grief support
- compassionConcern for others' distress
- empathySharing another's emotions
pity · consolation · commiseration · understanding · support · solace · tough break · reassurance · concern · kindness
- fortuneluck, fortune, fate, destiny, jinxed
- hardshipshardship, adversity, struggle, misfortune, difficulties
- luckgood luck, pure luck, dumb luck, blind luck, tough luck
- superstitionblack cat, broken mirror, Friday the 13th, walking under ladder, evil eye
- fatedestiny, fate, kismet, Moira, fated
- lamentslamentation, wailing, keen, keening, lament
hard luckgood luck
Favorable chance or fortune
good fortune · fortune · luck · lucky break · stroke of luck
hard luckeasy street
State of financial security
smooth sailing · prosperity · success · golden touch · winning streak
hard, lucky, harden, luckily, hardness, harder, hardiness, hardest, luckless