Definition

Noun: 1. A stroke of luck; a fortunate event or circumstance. This refers to a specific, often unexpected, piece of good luck. 2. An auspicious state resulting from favorable outcomes; good luck or success in general. This refers to a broader state of being lucky or successful.

Usage and Examples

• Referring to a specific lucky event:
  • It was good fortune that I checked my email just before the deadline.
  • Meeting my mentor was a piece of good fortune that changed my career.
• Referring to a general state of luck or success:
  • She wished her friend good fortune in the new venture.
  • His good fortune seemed never-ending; every project he started was a success.

Advanced Usage

• "To have the good fortune to do something": This phrase is used to express that one was lucky enough to experience something positive.
  • I had the good fortune to study under a Nobel Prize winner.
• "By good fortune": This adverbial phrase means "luckily" or "fortunately."
  • By good fortune, the lost documents were found before the meeting.

Variants and Related Words

• Fortune (n): Can mean chance or luck ("a twist of fortune"), or a large amount of money ("to make a fortune").
• Fortunate (adj): Lucky.
  • You are fortunate to have such a supportive family.
• Misfortune (n): Bad luck; the opposite of good fortune.
  • They endured great misfortune during the economic crisis.

Synonyms

• Luck: Success or failure brought by chance rather than through one's own actions.
• Serendipity: The occurrence of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
• Windfall: An unexpected gain or piece of good fortune, often financial.

Idioms and Phrases

• "To tempt fate/fortune": To take a reckless risk that could provoke bad luck.
  • Not backing up your data is tempting fate.
• "Fortune smiles on someone": Someone is experiencing a period of good luck.
  • Fortune smiled on the young entrepreneur, and her idea became a global phenomenon.

Noun

1. a stroke of luck
2. an auspicious state resulting from favorable outcomes