Noun
He hoped to achieve fame and fortune.
They had the good fortune to escape injury when their car crashed.
The book follows the fortunes of two families through the years.
Recent Examples on the Web
In the late 1800s, the town was booming with thousands of people seeking their fortunes.
—
Karen Ruffini, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2023
Eight of the 25 richest people made most of their money in technology, while seven made their fortunes in fashion & retail.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2023
The two men switched position between the first and second spot in the ranking within a 48-hour period earlier this year, but recent changes in their respective net worths have widened the gap between their fortunes.
—Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2023
The couple was accused of exaggerating their income while applying for loans before the Real Housewives debuted, and then hiding their newfound fortune in their bankruptcy filing.
—Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2023
Seven of the challenger teams picked up new players to try to recharge their fortunes, while the Premier teams stood pat and tried to regroup from January’s results.
—Todd Boss, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023
The bank also managed the personal wealth of those start-ups’ founders, who were often light on cash as their fortunes were tied to equity in their companies.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 26 Mar. 2023
Not even close, and as three of his children have turned on him (for now, at least) to make their own way—if not their own fortunes—the tension regarding what will happen to one of the world’s most powerful families keeps things delightfully fraught.
—Michael Stillwell, Town & Country, 26 Mar. 2023
These are two clubs desperate for three points to change their fortunes.
—oregonlive, 24 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘fortune.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English fortune, from Old French fortune, from Latin fortuna (“fate, luck”). The plural form fortunae meant “possessions”, which also gave fortune the meaning of “riches”.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈfɔːt͡ʃuːn/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈfoɹt͡ʃun/, /-t͡ʃən/
-
Audio (US, California) (file) - Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)t͡ʃuːn, -ɔː(ɹ)tʃən
- Hyphenation: for‧tune
Noun[edit]
fortune (countable and uncountable, plural fortunes)
- Destiny, especially favorable.
-
She read my fortune. Apparently I will have a good love life this week, but I will have a bad week for money.
- 1647, Abraham Cowley, The Mistress (“My Fate”):
- you, who men’s fortunes in their faces read
-
1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:
-
[…] his lordship was out of humour. That was the way Chollacombe described as knaggy an old gager as ever Charles had had the ill-fortune to serve.
-
-
- A prediction or set of predictions about a person’s future provided by a fortune teller.
- A small slip of paper with wise or vaguely prophetic words printed on it, baked into a fortune cookie.
- The arrival of something in a sudden or unexpected manner; chance; accident.
-
c. 1607–1608, William Shakeſpeare, The Late, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: Imprinted at London for Henry Goſſon, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act 2, scene 3]:
-
‘Tis more by fortune, lady, than by merit.
-
-
- Good luck.
-
Fortune favors the brave.
-
1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
-
There is a tide in the affairs of men / Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.
-
-
- One’s wealth; the amount of money one has, especially if it is vast.
-
He’s amassed a small fortune working in the Middle East.
-
My vast fortune was a result of inheritance and stock market nous.
-
Her fortune is estimated at 3 million dollars.
-
- A large amount of money.
-
That car must be worth a fortune! How could you afford it?
-
2015 June 24, “Top 10 Chinese Knockoffs of Foreign Products”, in China Uncensored[1], New Tang Dynasty Television, New Tang Dynasty Television, spoken by himself (Chris Chappell), 00:02:53 from the start:
-
Why spend a small fortune on Puma when you could buy Numa, Tuna or Pigg? And why buy Adidas when you can buy Adidos or Avivas? Nike, when there’s Nire or Hike? Calvin Klein, when clearly, Calvim Klain or Cavern Kernel are just as good? But remember, after a good workout, be sure to clean up with some Okay shampoo.
-
-
Synonyms[edit]
- (the arrival of something in a sudden or unexpected manner): hap, luck; see also Thesaurus:luck
- (one’s wealth): riches; see also Thesaurus:wealth
Antonyms[edit]
- (good luck): doom, misfortune
Derived terms[edit]
- bracelets of fortune
- every man is the architect of his own fortune
- fortunate
- fortune cookie
- fortune favors the bold, fortune favours the bold
- fortune favors the brave, fortune favours the brave
- fortune stick
- fortune-hunter, fortune hunter
- fortune-seeker, fortune seeker
- fortune-teller
- fortune-telling, fortune telling
- good fortune
- hostage to fortune
- ill-fortune
- make a fortune
- seek one’s fortune
- small fortune
- soldier of fortune
- stroke of fortune
- unfortunate
- wheel of fortune
[edit]
- fortuitous
- fortuity
Translations[edit]
destiny
- Azerbaijani: tale (az), qismət (az), qədər (az), müqəddarat
- Basque: adur (eu), zori
- Belarusian: до́ля f (dólja), лёс m (ljos)
- Bulgarian: съдба́ (bg) f (sǎdbá)
- Catalan: fortuna (ca) f, destí (ca) m, fat (ca) m
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 命運／命运 (zh) (mìngyùn), 氣數／气数 (zh) (qìshu), 宿命 (zh) (sùmìng), 運命／运命 (zh) (yùnmìng)
- Czech: osud (cs) m
- Dutch: lot (nl) n, noodlot (nl) n, (in fixed expressions) fortuin (nl) n
- Esperanto: sorto (eo)
- Faroese: lagna f
- Finnish: kohtalo (fi)
- French: destin (fr)
- Galician: sorte f, fortuna f
- German: Schicksal (de) n, Glück (de) n
- Greek: τύχη (el) f (týchi)
- Ancient: τύχη f (túkhē)
- Hebrew: גּוֹרָל (he) m (gorál)
- Hungarian: végzet (hu), sors (hu)
- Icelandic: örlög (is) n pl, auðna (is) f
- Interlingua: fortuna (ia)
- Italian: sorte (it) f, destino (it) m, fortuna (it) f
- Japanese: 運命 (ja) (うんめい, unmei), 宿命 (ja) (しゅくめい, shukumei)
- Korean: 운명(運命) (ko) (unmyeong)
- Latin: fortuna f
- Latvian: liktenis (lv) m
- Occitan: fortuna (oc) f
- Polish: fortuna (pl) f
- Portuguese: destino (pt) m, fortuna (pt) f, sina (pt) f
- Romanian: soartă (ro) n
- Russian: судьба́ (ru) f (sudʹbá), до́ля (ru) f (dólja), у́часть (ru) f (účastʹ), рок (ru) m (rok), уде́л (ru) m (udél)
- Slovak: osud m
- Spanish: fortuna (es) f
- Ukrainian: до́ля (uk) f (dólja)
- Volapük: fät (vo), benofät (vo), mifät (vo)
- Welsh: ffortiwn (cy) f, ffortiynau (cy) f pl
- Yiddish: גורל m (goyrl)
a chance
- Bulgarian: късме́т (bg) m (kǎsmét), шанс (bg) m (šans)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 機會／机会 (zh) (jīhuì)
- Dutch: kans (nl) c, geluk (nl) n
- Finnish: sattuma (fi)
- German: Glück (de) n
- Hungarian: véletlen (hu)
- Interlingua: fortuna (ia)
- Japanese: 機会 (ja) (きかい, kikai), チャンス (ja) (chansu)
- Korean: 기회(機會) (ko) (gihoe)
- Latin: fortuna f
- Ojibwe: zhawendaagozi
- Portuguese: chance (pt) f
- Romanian: şansă m
- Russian: возмо́жность (ru) f (vozmóžnostʹ), шанс (ru) m (šans)
- Slovak: náhoda f, šanca f
- Spanish: fortuna (es) f
- Swedish: tillfällighet (sv) c
good luck
- Azerbaijani: bəxt (az), iqbal (az), nəsib
- Belarusian: уда́ча f (udáča), шча́сце n (ščáscje), фарту́на f (fartúna)
- Bulgarian: ща́стие (bg) n (štástie), сполу́ка (bg) f (spolúka), късме́т (bg) m (kǎsmét)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 好運／好运 (zh) (hǎoyùn), 幸運／幸运 (zh) (xìngyùn), 機緣／机缘 (zh) (jīyuán), 造化 (zh) (zàohua), 福 (zh) (fú)
- Czech: štěstí (cs) n
- Dutch: geluk (nl) n
- Faroese: please add this translation if you can
- Finnish: onni (fi), tuuri (fi) (colloquial)
- French: bonne chance (fr) f
- German: Glück (de) n
- Greek: τύχη (el) f (týchi)
- Ancient: τύχη f (túkhē)
- Hungarian: szerencse (hu)
- Icelandic: gæfa (is) f, lán (is) n
- Ido: fortuno (io)
- Indonesian: keberuntungan (id)
- Italian: fortuna (it) f
- Japanese: 幸運 (ja) (こううん, kōun), 福 (ja) (ふく, fuku), 多幸 (たこう, takō)
- Kazakh: бақ (baq)
- Korean: 재수(財數) (ko) (jaesu), 행운(幸運) (ko) (haeng’un), 부(富) (ko) (bu), 다행(多幸) (ko) (dahaeng)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: نوخشە (nuxşe), خۆشبەخت (ckb) (xoşbext)
- Latin: fortuna f
- Latvian: laime f, veiksme f
- Macedonian: среќа f (sreḱa)
- Maori: māngari, māringanui, waimarie, māngaringari
- Norwegian: flaks (no)
- Ojibwe: minose
- Persian: بخت (fa) (baxt)
- Polish: szczęście (pl) n
- Portuguese: fortuna (pt) f, fortúnio m, sorte (pt) f
- Quechua: sami
- Romanian: noroc (ro) m
- Russian: уда́ча (ru) f (udáča), форту́на (ru) f (fortúna), везе́ние (ru) n (vezénije), сча́стье (ru) n (sčástʹje)
- Sanskrit: स्वस्ति (sa) n (svasti)
- Scottish Gaelic: àigh m
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: сре̏ћа f
- Roman: srȅća f
- Slovak: šťastie n
- Slovene: srẹ́ča (sl) f
- Spanish: fortuna (es) f
- Swedish: tur (sv) c
- Thai: โชค (th) (chôok)
- Ukrainian: уда́ча f (udáča), ща́стя (uk) n (ščástja), форту́на f (fortúna)
- Yiddish: גליק n (glik)
lots of riches
- Arabic: ثَرْوَة f (ṯarwa)
- Armenian: հարստություն (hy) (harstutʿyun)
- Belarusian: бага́цце (be) n (baháccje), замо́жнасць f (zamóžnascʹ)
- Bulgarian: бога́тство (bg) n (bogátstvo), състоя́ние (bg) n (sǎstojánie)
- Catalan: fortuna (ca) f
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 財富／财富 (zh) (cáifù)
- Czech: bohatství (cs) n
- Dutch: fortuin (nl) n, vermogen (nl) n
- Finnish: omaisuus (fi)
- French: fortune (fr)
- Galician: facenda f, fortuna f
- German: Vermögen (de) n
- Hebrew: הוֹן (he) m (hon)
- Hungarian: vagyon (hu)
- Icelandic: auður (is) m
- Italian: fortuna (it) f, dote (it) f
- Japanese: 富 (ja) (とみ, tomi), 富裕 (ja) (ふゆう, fuyū)
- Korean: 부유(富裕) (ko) (buyu), 부(富) (ko) (bu)
- Latvian: bagātība f, manta f
- Persian: ثروت (fa) (servat)
- Polish: fortuna (pl) f, bogactwo (pl) n, zamożność (pl) f
- Portuguese: fortuna (pt) f
- Romanian: avere (ro) f
- Russian: бога́тство (ru) n (bogátstvo), состоя́ние (ru) n (sostojánije)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: бога̀тство n
- Roman: bogàtstvo (sh) n
- Slovak: bohatstvo n
- Slovene: bogastvo (sl) n
- Spanish: fortuna (es) f
- Swedish: förmögenhet (sv) c
- Thai: สมบัติ (th) (sǒm-bàt)
- Turkish: servet (tr)
- Ukrainian: бага́тство (uk) n (bahátstvo), замо́жність (uk) f (zamóžnistʹ)
- Welsh: ffortiwn (cy) f, ffortiynau (cy) f pl
- Yiddish: עשירות n (eshires)
Verb[edit]
fortune (third-person singular simple present fortunes, present participle fortuning, simple past and past participle fortuned)
- (transitive)
- To provide (someone) with a fortune.
- To tell the fortune of (someone); to presage.
- (intransitive, obsolete) To happen, to take place. [14th–19th c.]
-
1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, The Gospell off S. Mathew viij:[33], folios x, verso – xi, recto:
-
Thẽ the heerdmẽ⸝ fleed and went there ways into the cite⸝ and tolde every thinge⸝ and what had fortuned vnto them that were poſſeſſed of the devyls.
-
-
1885, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Tale of Nu̇r al-Din Ali & His Son Badr al-Din Hasan”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], volume I, Shammar edition, [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC, page 195:
-
It fortuned one night that the Sultan purposed setting out on a journey next morning, […]
-
-
Anagrams[edit]
- ten-four
French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle French fortune, from Old French fortune, borrowed from Latin fortūna.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /fɔʁ.tyn/
Noun[edit]
fortune f (plural fortunes)
- fortune
-
faire une fortune
- make a fortune
-
faire fortune
- make a fortune
-
Derived terms[edit]
- de fortune
- faire contre mauvaise fortune bon cœur
- faire fortune
- infortune
- la fortune sourit aux audacieux
- revers de fortune
Further reading[edit]
- “fortune”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Italian[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /forˈtu.ne/
- Rhymes: -une
- Hyphenation: for‧tù‧ne
Noun[edit]
fortune f
- plural of fortuna
Anagrams[edit]
- funtore
Middle English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Old French fortune, from Latin fortuna.
Noun[edit]
fortune (plural fortunes)
- fortune (fate, chance)
Descendants[edit]
- English: fortune
- → Welsh: ffortiwn
- Scots: fortuin
Middle French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Old French fortune, borrowed from Latin fortuna.
Noun[edit]
fortune f (plural fortunes)
- fortune (fate, chance)
Descendants[edit]
- French: fortune
for·tune
(fôr′chən)
n.
1.
a. The chance happening of fortunate or adverse events; luck: He decided to travel, and his fortune turned for the worse.
b. fortunes The turns of luck in the course of one’s life.
c. Success, especially when at least partially resulting from luck: No matter what they tried, it ended in fortune.
2.
a. A person’s condition or standing in life determined by material possessions or financial wealth: She pursued her fortune in Rome.
b. Extensive amounts of material possessions or money; wealth.
c. A large sum of money: spent a fortune on the new car.
3. often Fortune A hypothetical, often personified force or power that favorably or unfavorably governs the events of one’s life: We believe that Fortune is on our side.
4.
a. Fate; destiny: told my fortune with tarot cards.
b. A foretelling of one’s destiny.
v. for·tuned, for·tun·ing, for·tunes
v.tr.
1. Archaic To endow with wealth.
2. Obsolete To ascribe or give good or bad fortune to.
v.intr. Archaic
To occur by chance; happen.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
fortune
(ˈfɔːtʃən)
n
1. an amount of wealth or material prosperity, esp, when unqualified, a great amount
2. small fortune a large sum of money
3. (European Myth & Legend) a power or force, often personalized, regarded as being responsible for human affairs; chance
4. luck, esp when favourable
5. (often plural) a person’s lot or destiny
vb
archaic
a. (tr) to endow with great wealth
b. (intr) to happen by chance
[C13: from Old French, from Latin fortūna, from fors chance]
ˈfortuneless adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
for•tune
(ˈfɔr tʃən)
n., v. -tuned, -tun•ing. n.
1. position in life as determined by wealth: to make one’s fortune.
2. wealth; riches: lost a fortune.
3. an ample stock of material possessions: inherited a fortune.
4. chance; luck: had the bad fortune to go bankrupt.
5. fortunes, varied occurrences that happen or are to happen to a person in life.
6. fate; destiny: to tell someone’s fortune.
7. (cap.) chance personified, commonly regarded as a mythical being distributing arbitrarily or capriciously the lots of life.
v.t.
8. Archaic. to endow with a fortune.
v.i.
9. Archaic. to chance; happen.
[1250–1300; Middle English < Old French < Latin fortūna chance, luck, fortune]
for′tune•less, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
fortune
— Latin fors, «chance,» formed fortuna, «that which fate brings along,» hence fortune, «luck» or «good luck.»
See also related terms for luck.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
Fortune/Misfortune
See Also: RICHES
- Adversity was spreading over him like mold —Irvin S. Cobb
- Bad moments, like good ones, tend to be grouped together —Edna O’Brien
- Blessed as the meek who shall inherit the earth —Anon
This illustrates how a quote can be transposed into a simile.
- The day of fortune is like a harvest day, we must be busy when the corn is ripe —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Disasters … rolling in the brain like pebbles —Denise Levertov
- Fortune is as … brittle as glass —Publilius Syrus
- Fortune is like glass: she breaks when she is brightest —Latin proverb
- Fortune is like the market, where if you will bide your time, the price will fall —German proverb
A variation by Francis Bacon begins like the above and finishes as follows: “If you can stay a little, the price will fall.”
- Fortunes made in no time are like shirts made in no time; it’s ten to one if they hang long together —Douglas Jerrold
- Fortune sits on him like a ton of shit —Irving Feldman
- Good fortune, like ripe fruit, ought to be enjoyed while it is present —Epictetus
- Good fortune seemed to be following me like a huge affectionate dog —John Braine
- It’s a nightmare like trying to conquer the Himalayas on roller skates or swim the English Channel lashed to a cannon —T. Coraghessan Boyle
- Luck is like having a rice dumpling fly into your mouth —Japanese proverb
- A luckless man … the kind of man who would have gotten two complimentary tickets for the Titanic —William Mcllvanney
The actual text in Scotch author Mcllvanney’s Papers of Tony Veitch reads: “The kinnaa man woulda got two complimentary tickets for the Titanic.”
- Luck shines in his face like good health —Anon
- Misfortunes disappeared, as though swept away by a great flood of sunlight —Emile Zola
- Misfortunes, like the owl, avoid the light —Charles Churchill
- Misfortunes … passed over her like wild geese —Ellen Glasgow
- Mishaps are like knives, that either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle —James Russell Lowell
- The storms of adversity, like those of the ocean, rouse the faculties —Captain Frederick Marryatt
- Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head —William Shakespeare
- Tried to conceal his misfortune as if it were a vice —Mihail Lermontov
- To wait for luck is like waiting for death —Japanese proverb
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
fortune
Good fortune is good luck.
He has since had the good fortune to be promoted.
He could hardly believe his good fortune.
It’s lucky that I’m going abroad.
It’s a good job you were there.
Note that in American English, you use a good thing, rather than a good job.
It’s a good thing you didn’t call me that night.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
fortune
Past participle: fortuned
Gerund: fortuning
| Imperative |
|---|
| fortune |
| fortune |
| Present |
|---|
| I fortune |
| you fortune |
| he/she/it fortunes |
| we fortune |
| you fortune |
| they fortune |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I fortuned |
| you fortuned |
| he/she/it fortuned |
| we fortuned |
| you fortuned |
| they fortuned |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am fortuning |
| you are fortuning |
| he/she/it is fortuning |
| we are fortuning |
| you are fortuning |
| they are fortuning |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have fortuned |
| you have fortuned |
| he/she/it has fortuned |
| we have fortuned |
| you have fortuned |
| they have fortuned |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was fortuning |
| you were fortuning |
| he/she/it was fortuning |
| we were fortuning |
| you were fortuning |
| they were fortuning |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had fortuned |
| you had fortuned |
| he/she/it had fortuned |
| we had fortuned |
| you had fortuned |
| they had fortuned |
| Future |
|---|
| I will fortune |
| you will fortune |
| he/she/it will fortune |
| we will fortune |
| you will fortune |
| they will fortune |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have fortuned |
| you will have fortuned |
| he/she/it will have fortuned |
| we will have fortuned |
| you will have fortuned |
| they will have fortuned |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be fortuning |
| you will be fortuning |
| he/she/it will be fortuning |
| we will be fortuning |
| you will be fortuning |
| they will be fortuning |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been fortuning |
| you have been fortuning |
| he/she/it has been fortuning |
| we have been fortuning |
| you have been fortuning |
| they have been fortuning |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been fortuning |
| you will have been fortuning |
| he/she/it will have been fortuning |
| we will have been fortuning |
| you will have been fortuning |
| they will have been fortuning |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been fortuning |
| you had been fortuning |
| he/she/it had been fortuning |
| we had been fortuning |
| you had been fortuning |
| they had been fortuning |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would fortune |
| you would fortune |
| he/she/it would fortune |
| we would fortune |
| you would fortune |
| they would fortune |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have fortuned |
| you would have fortuned |
| he/she/it would have fortuned |
| we would have fortuned |
| you would have fortuned |
| they would have fortuned |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  fortune — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another; «bad luck caused his downfall»; «we ran into each other by pure chance»
chance, hazard, luck phenomenon — any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning mischance, mishap, bad luck — an unpredictable outcome that is unfortunate; «if I didn’t have bad luck I wouldn’t have any luck at all» even chance, tossup, toss-up — an unpredictable phenomenon; «it’s a toss-up whether he will win or lose» |
| 2. | fortune — a large amount of wealth or prosperity
hoarded wealth, treasure — accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.; «the pirates hid their treasure on a small island in the West Indies» |
|
| 3. | fortune — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that leads to a favorable outcome; «it was my good luck to be there»; «they say luck is a lady»; «it was as if fortune guided his hand»
luck phenomenon — any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning fluke, good fortune, good luck — a stroke of luck |
|
| 4. |  fortune — your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you); «whatever my fortune may be»; «deserved a better fate»; «has a happy lot»; «the luck of the Irish»; «a victim of circumstances»; «success that was her portion»
circumstances, luck, destiny, fate, lot, portion condition — a mode of being or form of existence of a person or thing; «the human condition» good fortune, good luck, luckiness — an auspicious state resulting from favorable outcomes providence — a manifestation of God’s foresightful care for his creatures bad luck, ill luck, tough luck, misfortune — an unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes failure — lack of success; «he felt that his entire life had been a failure»; «that year there was a crop failure» |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
fortune
noun
1. large sum of money, bomb (Brit. slang), packet (slang), bundle (slang), big money, big bucks (informal, chiefly U.S.), top dollar (informal), megabucks (U.S. & Canad. slang), an arm and a leg (informal), king’s ransom, pretty penny (informal) Eating out all the time costs a fortune.
2. wealth, means, property, riches, resources, assets, pile (informal), possessions, treasure, prosperity, mint, gold mine, wad (U.S. & Canad. slang), affluence, opulence, tidy sum (informal) He made his fortune in car sales.
wealth poverty, hardship, privation, penury, destitution, indigence
plural noun destiny, life, lot, experiences, history, condition, success, means, circumstances, expectation, adventures She kept up with the fortunes of the family.
Quotations
«Fortune, that favours fools» [Ben Jonson The Alchemist]
«The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune» [William Shakespeare Hamlet]
«Base Fortune, now I see, that in thy wheel»
«There is a point, to which when men aspire,»
«They tumble headlong down» [Christopher Marlowe Edward II]
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
fortune
noun
1. The quality shared by random, unintended, or unpredictable events or this quality regarded as the cause of such events:
2. Success attained as a result of chance:
Idiom: good fortune.
3. All things, such as money, property, or goods, having economic value:
4. A great amount of accumulated money and precious possessions:
6. That which is inevitably destined:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
jměnímajlantnáhodaosud
formueheld
kohtaloomaisuusonnisattumatuuri
bogatstvo
szerencse
fortuna
auîur, auîæfigæfa, heppni
大金富幸運機会運命
재산
fortuna
būrėjaburti kam ateitįfortūnaišburti kam ateitįkrūva pinigų
bagātībalaimeveiksme
premoženjesrečausoda
förmögenhettur
ทรัพย์สมบัติมากมาย
tài sản to lớn
fortune
[ˈfɔːtʃən]
B. CPD fortune cookie N (esp US) galleta china con un mensaje sobre la suerte
fortune hunter N → cazafortunas mf inv
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
fortune
(ˈfoːtʃən) noun
1. whatever happens by chance or (good or bad) luck. whatever fortune may bring.
2. a large amount of money. That ring must be worth a fortune!
ˈfortunate (-nət) adjective
having good fortune; lucky. It was fortunate that no-one was killed in the accident.
ˈfortunately adverbˈfortune-teller noun
someone who tells fortunes.
tell (someone’s) fortune
to foretell what will happen to someone in the future. The gypsy told my fortune.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
fortune
→ ثَرْوَة majlant formue Vermögen τύχη fortuna omaisuus chance bogatstvo fortuna 大金 재산 fortuin formue fortuna fortuna состояние förmögenhet ทรัพย์สมบัติมากมาย servet tài sản to lớn 财富
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
Other forms: fortunes
A fortune can be a large amount of money, and fortune is a form of fate. So you want to have the good fortune to make a fortune during your career.
Fortuna was the Roman goddess of fate and luck. She was sometimes depicted with a wheel, and the random spinning of her «wheel of fortune» became a symbol for the unpredictability of fate (and, much later, the title of a popular game show). A fortune teller can look into her crystal ball or tarot cards and predict your future. But her predictions are probably about as accurate as the «prophecy» that comes inside your fortune cookie.
Definitions of fortune
-
noun
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
“whatever my
fortune may be”-
synonyms:
circumstances, destiny, fate, lot, luck, portion
see moresee less-
types:
- show 14 types…
- hide 14 types…
-
good fortune, good luck, luckiness
an auspicious state resulting from favorable outcomes
-
providence
a manifestation of God’s foresightful care for his creatures
-
bad luck, ill luck, misfortune, tough luck
an unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes
-
failure
lack of success
-
prosperity, successfulness
the condition of prospering; having good fortune
-
blessing, boon
a desirable state
-
weakness
the condition of being financially weak
-
adversity, hard knocks, hardship
a state of misfortune or affliction
-
gutter, sewer, toilet
a state of misfortune resulting in lost effort or money
-
hard cheese
bad luck
-
bankruptcy
a state of complete lack of some abstract property
-
bank failure
the inability of a bank to meet its credit obligations
-
crop failure
the failure of crops to produce a marketable surplus
-
dead duck
something doomed to failure
-
type of:
-
condition
a mode of being or form of existence of a person or thing
-
noun
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
-
noun
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that leads to a favorable outcome
“it was as if
fortune guided his hand”-
synonyms:
luck
-
noun
a large amount of wealth or prosperity
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘fortune’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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«_Dix francs, et je ferai fortune — dix francs, et je ferai fortune_ —» The old words seemed to set themselves to a tune in Madelon’s head, chiming in with the croupier’s perpetual «_Rouge gagne et la couleur_,» ❋ Eleanor Frances Poynter (N/A)
Then, if she brought no fortune, and he had none, she ought not to have been _able to marry_: and, let me tell you, young man, a _small fortune_ would not put a servant-keeping wife upon an equality with one who required no such inmate. ❋ William Cobbett (1799)
«We are trying to make our fortune, or as the French more correctly express it, _Nous corrigous notre fortune_. ❋ Mary J. [Translator] Safford (1843)
III. i.112 (465,2) So weary with disasters, tug’d with fortune] _Tug’d with fortune_ may be, _tug’d_ or _worried_ by fortune. ❋ Samuel Johnson (1746)
And, therefore, the natural philosophy of Democritus and some others, who did not suppose a mind or reason in the frame of things, but attributed the form thereof able to maintain itself to infinite essays or proofs of Nature, which they term fortune, seemeth to me ❋ Francis Bacon (1593)
But, for the rest of us, trying to find detailed, in depth information on the net without paying a fortune is an exercise in frustration and exasperation. ❋ Unknown (2008)
The lower house of parliament in Tajikistan has endorsed a bill to try to tackle what it describes as fortune-telling and witchcraft. ❋ Christopher (2007)
What need is there to display the praises of industry, and to extol its advantages, in the acquisition of power and riches, or in raising what we call a fortune in the world? ❋ Unknown (2006)
Was, hath many times that which we call fortune, to overrule the best wisdom. ❋ Various (N/A)
But if he know an example only informs a conjectured likelihood, and so go by reason, the poet doth so far exceed him as he is to frame his example to that which is most reasonable, be it in warlike, politic, or private matters; where the historian in his bare was hath many times that which we call fortune to overrule the best wisdom. ❋ Unknown (1909)
But her fortune is my business, and it’s in my hands, too. ❋ Unknown (1897)
You are nowise anxious to be saved from the too-much that is a snare; you want what you call a fortune — the freedom of the world. ❋ 1824-1905 (1885)
‘That depends on what you call a fortune,’ answered the Greek coolly. ❋ Horace T. [Illustrator] Carpenter (1881)
You are nowise anxious to be saved from the too-much that is a snare; you want what you call a fortune — the freedom of the world. ❋ George MacDonald (1864)
Even casual things come from thee; and that which we call fortune here hath another name above. ❋ John Donne (1601)
Nature, which they term fortune, seemeth to me (as far as I can judge by the recital and fragments which remain unto us) in particularities of physical causes more real and better inquired than that of Aristotle and Plato; whereof both intermingled final causes, the one as a part of theology, and the other as a part of logic, which were the favourite studies respectively of both those persons; not because those final causes are not true and worthy to be inquired, being kept within their own province, but because their excursions into the limits of physical causes hath bred a vastness and solitude in that tract. ❋ Unknown (2003)
In Shakespeare’s version, Brutus uses the word fortune instead of freedom. ❋ Eric Jaffe (2010)
1.Hey man did you see that girl [Fortune], shes hot!
2.Fortune is [captian] of the school!
3.omg!She [followed] me back!!! ❋ Staceywww2 (2018)
1′ Fortune will be a [model] i know it
2′ Fortune is famous [look at this]!
3′ Her [outfit] was cute today
4′ she got asked out by him! ❋ Gennisis990 (2019)
girl; Oh my gosh Fortune liked and commented on my post!!
girl;yo [do you remember] when Fortune [fought] that girl?!
guy; Fortune is who i want to date bro
girl; Fortune is the sweetest
girl; Did you see [Fortune’s] new post?? ❋ Staceywww2 (2019)
Enter .[fortune] as a [profile] name in the original [Halo]. ❋ .fortune (2008)
[Yo], have you listened to that [new] Fortune??? ❋ Ronaldlegarski (2020)
Enter .[fortune] as a [profile] name in the original [Halo]. ❋ .fortune (2008)
“Dude I saw Fortune this morning and she looked [stunning]” “man you [shoulda] asked to be her [bf]” ❋ C_100 (2019)
Nate: Ya know what? I go to one of the best schools in the state, my mother loves me unconditionally, I have a rich bestfriend, I [get new] Jordans regularly, and the bitches be lovin’ on me. I really am [fortuNATE].
[Brendon]: Ya, I wish my name was Nate. ❋ JoelyRoth (2012)
[I know] [fortune] is [gay] ❋ (2020)
[I know] [fortune] is [gay] ❋ (2020)