leave to chance
leave to chance — idiom
1. to choose not to make specific plans or decisions, preferring instead to let eve
to choose not to make specific plans or decisions, preferring instead to let events take their natural course without trying to control or steer the outcome
Sayaka decided to leave the seating arrangements to chance and let guests pick their own spots.
leave + object + to chance for deliberate inaction
For the office party menu, Benjamin left everything to chance by ordering a surprise selection.
Rather than researching schools, Otis and his wife left the choice to chance during their move.
The gardeners left the flower colours to chance by mixing all the seeds together.
Pim left her holiday destination to chance and was thrilled with the random result.
- trust to luck
more informal; implies hoping for a good outcome rather than passively accepting any outcome
- take a gamble
implies more risk and a conscious risk-taking attitude
- let nature take its course
broader; often used for biological or natural processes rather than decisions
- plan ahead
opposite action — making deliberate preparations
- take charge
emphasises active control rather than passive acceptance
用法筆記
This sense implies a conscious, intentional decision not to control a situation. Distinguish from sense 2, where the lack of planning is a failure rather than a choice.
常見錯誤
2. to make no preparations or arrangements for a future event or situation, so that
to make no preparations or arrangements for a future event or situation, so that the result depends entirely on luck rather than on any steps you have taken
Eshe left her job interview preparation entirely to chance and arrived with no notes.
leave + [task/activity] + entirely to chance for negligent inaction
Nikos left the wedding catering to chance and had to order pizza at the last minute.
Gabriel left his travel insurance to chance and regretted it when his bag was stolen.
Saira left the exam revision to chance and was completely unprepared for the questions.
The building team left the safety checks to chance, which led to a serious accident.
- neglect to prepare
more formal; emphasises the failure aspect
- fail to plan
neutral phrasing without idiomatic flavour
- fly by the seat of one's pants
informal; implies improvising as you go rather than simply not preparing
- make preparations
neutral opposite action
- leave nothing to chance
negative version of the same idiom, meaning to prepare thoroughly
用法筆記
Null