chanceful
Definition
- Adjective:
- Characterized by uncertainty of outcome; involving risk or hazard: "chanceful" describes a situation, event, or future that is unpredictable and potentially dangerous, where the result depends heavily on luck or chance.
- Precarious; dependent on fortune: It implies a state that is unstable and subject to the vagaries of fate rather than control.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The expedition into the uncharted jungle was a chanceful endeavor, with no guarantee of safe return.
- Investing in such a volatile market is a chanceful proposition at best.
- They faced a chanceful future after the economic collapse.
Advanced Usage
- "chanceful nature of": used to describe the inherent risk in a particular activity or circumstance.
- He was acutely aware of the chanceful nature of deep-sea exploration.
Variants and Related Words
- Chance (n): The occurrence of events in the absence of any obvious intention or cause; luck or fortune.
- Chancy (adj): Another adjective with a very similar meaning to "chanceful," meaning uncertain, risky, or subject to chance. (e.g., )
- Hazardous (adj): Involving risk or danger.
- Precarious (adj): Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse; dependent on chance.
Synonyms
- Risky
- Uncertain
- Hazardous
- Dicey (informal)
- Precarious
- Speculative
Antonyms
- Certain
- Safe
- Secure
- Predictable
- Guaranteed
Notes on Usage
- Frequency: "Chanceful" is a relatively rare and somewhat literary or archaic word in modern English. The synonyms chancy, risky, or hazardous are far more commonly used in contemporary speech and writing.
- Context: It is typically used to modify nouns like "future," "venture," "enterprise," or "situation" to emphasize their dependence on luck and inherent peril. The provided reference example () perfectly illustrates this usage, with "dicey" being a common synonym.
Adjective
-
of uncertain outcome; especially fraught with risk
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an extremely dicey future on a brave new world of liquid nitrogen, tar, and smog- New Yorker
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