press one's luck

Variant of luck

luck definition

luck (luk)

noun

  1. the seemingly chance happening of events that affect someone; fortune; fate
  2. good fortune; success, prosperity, advantage, etc.
  3. an object believed to bring good luck

Etymology: ME lucke, prob. < MDu luk, contr. < gelucke < ODu *gilukki (> Ger glück, fortune, good luck) < ? IE base *leug-, to bend (> leek, lock): basic sense “what bends together,” hence, “what occurs, what is fitting, lucky occurrence”

intransitive verb

Informal to be lucky enough to come (into, on, through, etc.)
luck Idioms

crowd one's luck

or push one's luck or press one's luck
Slang to take unnecessary risks in an already favorable situation

down on one's luck

in misfortune; unlucky

in luck

fortunate; lucky

luck out

Informal to have things turn out favorably for one; be lucky

out of luck

unfortunate; unlucky

try one's luck

to try to do something without being sure of the outcome

worse luck

unfortunately

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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