Meaning & use
streak of bad luck
Last updated
Meaning
phrasecountable
A period of time during which a person experiences a series of unfortunate events or failures.
Grammar: Often used with 'a' or 'the': 'He's on a streak of bad luck.' Can be plural: 'two streaks of bad luck'.
Patterns
- be on a streak of bad luck
- have a streak of bad luck
- end a streak of bad luck
After losing his job and then his car breaking down, Tom felt he was on a streak of bad luck.
The team's streak of bad luck finally ended with a surprise victory.
She blamed her streak of bad luck on not having a lucky charm.
Common combinations
- on a streak of bad luck
- He's been on a streak of bad luck since the beginning of the year.
- end a streak of bad luck
- A promotion at work ended his long streak of bad luck.
- a long streak of bad luck
- The company suffered a long streak of bad luck before finally recovering.
Synonyms and how they differ
- run of bad luck
- Very similar in meaning, but 'run' is more common in British English and slightly more informal.
- losing streak
- Specifically about repeated losses in sports or gambling, not general misfortune.
Opposites
Commonly confused: streak of bad luck or streak?
streak of bad luck vs streak
On its own, 'streak' can mean a mark or a period of success (a winning streak). The full phrase 'streak of bad luck' is needed to show misfortune.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'streak of bad luck' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is typically used with 'on' or 'have': 'on a streak of bad luck' or 'have a streak of bad luck'. 'Does' and 'makes' do not collocate with this phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “streak of bad luck”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.