luck of the draw
The random production or occurrence of favorable or unfavorable results.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Winning this game is just the luck of the draw.”
“Getting a nice boss is often just the luck of the draw.”
“The weather during your vacation is usually the luck of the draw.”
“You cannot choose your seat on the plane, so it is just the luck of the draw.”
“I ended up with a very noisy hotel room, but that is just the luck of the draw when you book a cheap deal.”
“We did not get to pick our partners for the project, so our final grade depends on the luck of the draw.”
“You might get a friendly interviewer or a strict one, as the schedule is purely the luck of the draw.”
“Whether one is born into wealth or poverty remains, in many respects, merely the luck of the draw.”
Derived from games of chance in which objects such as playing cards, straws, or marbles are distributed or withdrawn at random from a container. The idiom alludes to the lack of agency involved when receiving a hand from a card deck or a marble from a bag, where the outcome is determined entirely by the draw.
- 01
as luck may have it
Synonym of as luck would have it (“by chance, luckily”).
- 02
be in luck
To be lucky in getting something that one wants.
- 03
better luck next time
Used to wish somebody hope in future success after a failure.
- 04
devil's luck
astounding good luck.
- 05
down on one's luck
Unlucky or undergoing a period of bad luck, especially with respect to financial matters.
- 06
draw a blank
To be unable to recall a required piece of information.
- 07
draw a line
To delimit a boundary or border.
- 08
draw a long bow
To lie; to exaggerate.
Last updated August 10, 2026