luckily

luckily — adverb

1. used to show that something good happened because chance or fortune was on your

1.adverbB1
Definition

used to show that something good happened because chance or fortune was on your side, especially when a less desirable result could easily have happened instead

Example

Luckily, Haruto remembered to bring his umbrella before the rain started.

sentence adverb opening a clause

Maeve slipped on the wet kitchen floor but luckily she did not break anything.

conjunction + luckily mid-clause

Common collocations
  • luckily for
  • but luckily
  • and luckily
  • luckily enough
Synonyms
  • fortunately

    more formal and common in written English; same core meaning

  • thankfully

    adds a sense of relief or gratitude toward the outcome

  • mercifully

    suggests relief from something unpleasant or painful that was avoided

  • happily

    emphasises the pleasing nature of the result rather than the role of chance

Antonyms
  • unfortunately

    the most common opposite; describes negative outcomes due to chance

  • unluckily

    less common than unfortunately; directly reverses the meaning of luckily

Grammar Patterns

Luckily, + clause

luckily for + noun phrase

but luckily + clause

Usage Note

Luckily is a sentence adverb — it modifies the whole statement, not just a single verb. It is most common at the start of a sentence followed by a comma, but can also appear mid-sentence after a conjunction such as but or and, or at the end for emphasis.

Common Mistakes

Luckily he arrived on time.
Luckily, he arrived on time.
In formal writing, a comma follows a sentence adverb at the start of a clause.
He was luckily enough to win the prize.
He was lucky enough to win the prize.
After the verb 'was' you need the adjective 'lucky', not the adverb 'luckily'.
I luckily found my keys.
Luckily, I found my keys.
When positioned at the start, 'luckily' needs a comma; when mid-sentence it should follow a conjunction like 'but' or 'and'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

Luckily, fortunately, thankfully, mercifully, and happily all describe a positive outcome connected to chance or relief. Luckily is the most neutral and conversational — it simply states that chance played a positive role. Fortunately is slightly more formal, making it a good choice for written narratives or reports. Thankfully adds a layer of gratitude, suggesting someone is relieved about what happened. Mercifully implies that the outcome spared someone from something unpleasant, giving a sense of welcome relief from a feared situation. Happily focuses on the pleasing nature of the result rather than the role of luck. For example: 'Luckily, the train was late' sounds like a simple observation, while 'Thankfully, no one was hurt' carries relief, and 'Mercifully, the exam was easier than expected' suggests the speaker had feared something worse.

fortunately ↗thankfully ↗mercifullyhappily ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • luckily for
  • but luckily
  • and luckily
  • luckily enough

Etymology

Middle DutchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Luckily is formed from the adjective lucky (luck + the adjective suffix -y) plus the adverb suffix -ly. The noun luck entered English in the late 1400s from Middle Dutch luc, a shortened form of gheluc meaning 'happiness' or 'good fortune'. By the late 1500s, luckily was already being used as an adverb meaning 'by good fortune, fortunately.'