with any luck

IPA/wɪð ˌɛni lˈʌk/
IPA/wɪð ˌɛni lˈʌk/

with any luck — idiom

1. said when you want to express that you hope something good will happen, although

1.idiomB1
Definition

said when you want to express that you hope something good will happen, although you are not sure it will.

Example

With any luck, Rohan will reach the station before the last train leaves.

with any luck + future clause for a hoped-for outcome

The doctor said that, with any luck, Elena would walk again by spring.

mid-sentence placement between commas

Synonyms
  • hopefully

    more neutral; works in formal writing where 'with any luck' stays casual

  • fingers crossed

    even more informal; often stands alone as a reply

  • all being well

    slightly more formal; stresses that no problem gets in the way

Grammar Patterns

with any luck, + clause

Usage Note

Almost always sits at the very start of a clause, set off by a comma; the rest of the clause is usually in the future tense. Speakers use it to soften a prediction, signalling they hope rather than expect.

Common Mistakes

I finished the work with any luck.
With any luck, I will finish the work today.
the phrase frames a hoped-for future result, not a completed action.

Etymology

English

This phrase joins the everyday noun 'luck', meaning good fortune, with 'any', which here means 'even a small amount'. Put together, the words say that even a little good fortune would be enough for the hoped-for thing to happen. The expression became common in spoken English in the twentieth century as a gentle way to voice a wish.