# tough luck

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/tough-luck
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Bad luck.

## Examples

- You lost your ticket? That is tough luck.
- I wanted to go to the concert, but it sold out, so tough luck for me.
- He hoped for a promotion, but when the company announced the layoffs, he realized it was simply tough luck.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.