English Reference
Idiom idiom

better luck next time


Used to wish somebody hope in future success after a failure.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

You lost the game, but better luck next time.

CONTEXTUAL

After he missed the final shot of the match, his coach patted his shoulder and said, better luck next time.

COMPLEX

Although she failed the audition, the director offered a kind smile and told her better luck next time.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a week from next Tuesday

    Some unspecified time in the future.

  2. 02

    a week is a long time in politics

    In politics, much change can occur in a short space of time.

  3. 03

    about time

    Far past the desired time.

  4. 04

    an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure

    Precaution and prevention of an undesirable thing is preferable to dealing with its potential consequences.

  5. 05

    any time now

    Very soon.

  6. 06

    any time soon

    soon

  7. 07

    as luck may have it

    Synonym of as luck would have it (“by chance, luckily”).

  8. 08

    as the next girl

    To a reasonable degree; as much as a typical woman.

Last updated August 10, 2026