hard-luck
Meaning
Used to describe someone or something that is consistently unfortunate or unsuccessful.
Structure
Usage
He was known as a hard-luck gambler who never seemed to win.
The team's hard-luck story continued with another last-minute loss.
She had a hard-luck childhood but managed to build a successful career.
Etymology
The compound "hard-luck" is a modern English formation, combining the Germanic adjective "hard," which evolved from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "solid" or "strong," with the Middle Dutch loanword "luck," denoting fortune. The logic is transparent: "hard" intensifies "luck" to signify fortune that is severe, unyielding, and persistently bad. This figurative use of "hard" to mean "harsh" or "difficult" developed in Old English, and its combination with "luck" creates a vivid image of misfortune that is fixed and inescapable, moving from a literal sense of solidity to an abstract concept of persistent adversity.
Analysis
- hard: From Old English heard (solid, firm, severe, harsh). In this compound, it functions as an intensifier meaning "severe" or "unyielding." - luck: From Middle Dutch luc (happiness, good fortune). In this compound, it functions as the core noun meaning "fortune" or "chance."