INDEX:
when something happens by chance
1. when something happens without being planned
2. happening by chance
3. when things are done, chosen etc by chance
when you have a chance to do something
4. when you have the chance to do something
5. to use an opportunity
6. to not use an opportunity
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ DELIBERATELY
when you do something without intending to : ↑ ACCIDENTALLY
see also
↑ INTEND/NOT INTEND
↑ LUCKY
↑ UNLUCKY
◆◆◆
1. when something happens without being planned
▷ by chance /baɪ ˈtʃɑːnsǁ-ˈtʃæns/ [adverb]
if something happens by chance, it happens unexpectedly and seems to have no particular cause :
▪ I met an old friend by chance on the train.
▪ If by chance I’m not in when she calls, can you take a message?
quite/purely/entirely by chance
completely by chance
▪ Quite by chance, a TV crew was filming in the area when the accident happened.
▷ by accident /baɪ ˈæksə̇d ə nt/ [adverb]
if you do something by accident, you do it by chance and without intending to do it :
▪ Fleming discovered penicillin almost by accident.
▪ We ended up by accident on the wrong train and had to ride all the way to Montreal.
▪ The trigger of the gun is locked so that it cannot be fired by accident.
quite by accident
completely by chance
▪ Lombardi heard about their plan quite by accident.
▷ happen to do something /ˌhæpən tə ˈduː something/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
if you happen to do something, you do it by chance and not because of any particular reason or plan :
▪ Justin forgot the map but I happened to have another one in the glove compartment.
just happen to do something
▪ I’m sorry I didn’t phone first -- I just happened to be passing and thought I’d drop in.
▪ We’re not related -- we just happen to have the same name.
▷ as luck would have it /əz ˌlʌk wʊd ˈhæv ɪt/ [adverb]
use this to say that something happened by chance, when this is connected with what you have just been talking about :
▪ This was the first time I had ever seen a panda, and as luck would have it, I had my camera with me.
▪ As luck would have it, it rained the next day and the game was canceled.
▷ coincidence /kəʊˈɪnsɪd ə ns, kəʊˈɪnsəd ə ns/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a surprising situation in which two things happen that are similar or seem connected, but no-one planned or intended this to happen :
▪ Hi Phil. What a coincidence -- we were just talking about you.
by coincidence
▪ My mother is called Anna, and by coincidence my wife’s mother is called Anna too.
just a coincidence
▪ It was just a coincidence that we were in Paris at the same time.
by a strange/sad/happy etc coincidence
▪ By a strange coincidence the king was assassinated on the very spot where his grandfather had been killed.
▷ luck/chance /lʌk, tʃɑːnsǁtʃæns/ [uncountable noun]
the way in which good or bad things seem to happen to people by chance :
▪ There’s no skill in a game like roulette, it’s all luck.
▪ Success is not a matter of chance - it takes a lot of hard work.
pure luck/chance
▪ It was pure chance that we ran into each other on the street.
leave something to chance
let things happen by chance
▪ You must plan ahead. You can’t leave these things to chance.
▷ fate /feɪt/ [uncountable noun]
the power or force that is supposed to control the way everything happens, so that people cannot completely control their own lives :
▪ It was fate that brought us together.
▪ They saw themselves as victims of fate.
by a twist of fate
because fate made things happen in an unexpected way
▪ By a strange twist of fate the judge died on the very day that Cordell was executed.
▷ accident /ˈæksɪd ə nt, ˈæksəd ə nt/ [countable noun]
something that happens by chance with no plan or intention :
▪ I only met her again through a fortunate accident.
▪ It is no accident that most of the country’s outstanding public schools are in wealthy communities.
▷ as it happens /əz ɪt ˈhæpənz/ [adverb]
use this when you are talking about a situation that is surprising because by chance it is connected with something else that has been noticed or mentioned :
▪ We’ve just seen a really beautiful house and, as it happens, it’s for sale.
▪ I needed to borrow a car, and as it happened Andrew wasn’t using his.
2. happening by chance
▷ chance /tʃɑːnsǁtʃæns/ [adjective only before noun]
chance meeting/remark/discovery etc
a meeting etc that happens unexpectedly and was not planned or arranged :
▪ Their friendship was the result of a chance meeting.
▪ A chance encounter at the conference gave him the opportunity to tell the professor about his work.
▪ Wilson hoped his chance discovery would benefit poor families in developing nations.
▷ accidental /ˌæksɪˈdentl◂, ˌæksəˈdentl◂/ [adjective]
happening by chance, without being planned or intended, especially in a way that has a bad result :
▪ Are you insured against accidental damage to your property?
▪ A system of valves limits accidental releases of the substance.
accidentally [adverb]
▪ Don’t tell Sue about our plan. She might accidentally mention it to the wrong person.
▪ He claims he opened my mail accidentally but I’m not sure I believe him.
▷ fortuitous /fɔːʳˈtjuːɪtəs, fɔːʳˈtjuːətəsǁ-ˈtuː-/ [adjective] formal
happening by chance, especially in a way that has a good result :
▪ A fortuitous fire destroyed all evidence of his wrongdoing.
3. when things are done, chosen etc by chance
▷ at random /ət ˈrændəm/ [adverb]
if you do or choose things at random, you do or choose them without using any plan or system :
▪ The forms were distributed at random to people passing by.
▪ While he waited, he picked up a magazine, turned to a page at random, and started reading.
▪ Twenty students were chosen at random to take part in the experiment.
▷ random /ˈrændəm/ [adjective]
something that is random is done or chosen without using any plan or system :
▪ The union believes that the random drug testing of employees is an invasion of their privacy.
▪ A few random shots were fired, but the battle was over.
randomly [adverb]
▪ Participants for the show are randomly selected from a long list.
▷ arbitrary /ˈɑːʳbɪtrəri, ˈɑːʳbətrəri, -triǁ-treri/ [adjective]
something that is arbitrary is decided or arranged without any reason, plan, or system, especially in a way that seems unfair :
▪ The way the programme of events is organized seems completely arbitrary to me.
▪ The fans complained about the apparently arbitrary distribution of tickets for the next game.
arbitrarily /ˈɑːbɪtrərəli, ˈɑːbətrərəliǁˌɑːrbə̇ˈtrerə̇li/ [adverb]
▪ Protesters accused the military of arbitrarily arresting Pereira and forty others.
4. when you have the chance to do something
▷ chance /tʃɑːnsǁtʃæns/ [countable noun]
a situation in which it is possible for you to do something enjoyable, useful, or exciting, or something that you want to do :
chance to do something
▪ I never got the chance to thank him for all his help.
▪ It’s a beautiful building - you should go and see it if you have a chance.
give somebody a/the chance to do something
▪ I wish he’d just give me the chance to explain.
take the chance to do something
use a chance when you have it
▪ You should take the chance to travel while you are still young.
chance for somebody to do something
▪ ‘Back to School Night’ will be a chance for parents to meet their child’s teacher.
somebody’s last chance
when you will not have another chance
▪ It was her last chance to see him before she left town.
▷ opportunity /ˌɒpəˈtjuːnɪti, ˌɒpəˈtjuːnətiǁˌɑːpərˈtuː-/ [countable noun]
a chance to do something, especially something that is important or useful to you, or something that you want to do very much :
▪ It was too good an opportunity to pass up.
opportunity to do something
▪ All he needs is an opportunity to show his ability.
opportunity of doing something
▪ After they had refused him the opportunity of improving his position, he resigned.
opportunity for somebody to do something
▪ We see this as an exciting opportunity for our companies to work together.
have an/the opportunity (to do something)
▪ She was delighted to have an opportunity to talk with someone who shared her interest in classical music.
equal opportunities
the same opportunities as other people
▪ All over the world women are demanding equal opportunities.
▷ break /breɪk/ [countable noun] informal
a sudden or unexpected chance to do something, especially to be successful in your job :
▪ Gary wants to work in television. He’s just waiting for a break.
lucky break
▪ Seeing that advertisement in the paper was a lucky break for me.
big break
▪ Nimoy’s big break in television came in the mid-'60s, when he won the role of Spock on ‘Star Trek’.
▷ golden opportunity /ˌgəʊld ə n ɒpəˈtjuːnə̇tiǁ-ɑːpərˈtuː-/ [countable noun]
▪ I got a grant from my university to study in the USA for a year. It’s a golden opportunity!
a golden opportunity (for somebody) to do something
▪ The management course is being paid for by the company and it’s a golden opportunity to improve your skills.
▷ chance of a lifetime /ˌtʃɑːns əv ə ˈlaɪftaɪm◂ǁˌtʃæns-/ [noun phrase]
the chance to do something very exciting or important that you might never be able to do again :
▪ This job is the chance of a lifetime. You’d be a fool not to take it.
▪ If you don’t hurry up and make a decision, you could miss the chance of a lifetime.
▷ room/scope /ruːm, skəʊp/ [uncountable noun]
a chance to do things you want to do, in the way that you want to do them. Scope is more formal than room :
▪ He refused the post because he felt it didn’t offer him much scope.
room/scope for
▪ There will always be room for debate and disagreement in this class.
▪ I have two jobs, which doesn’t leave much room for socializing.
▪ Despite our recent success, there is still scope for improvement.
room/scope to do something
▪ We’ve left the course deliberately vague, so there’s room to concentrate on your particular areas of interest.
▪ Better paid labour means greater scope to increase the company’s profits.
▷ prospects /ˈprɒspektsǁˈprɑː-/ [plural noun]
the chance of being successful at something in the future, especially your job :
▪ He had no job, no family, no home, no prospects.
▪ Employers are now offering more jobs with quality training and excellent career prospects.
prospects for
▪ The prospects for an alliance between the two nations do not look good.
▷ possibility /ˌpɒsɪˈbɪləti‖ˌpaː-, ˌpɒsəˈbɪləti‖ˌpaː-/ [countable noun]
the chance to do something :
possibility for
▪ The possibilities for improvement are endless.
▪ We need to investigate all possibilities for helping these children.
▷ open doors for/open the door for /ˌəʊpən ˈdɔːʳz fɔːʳ, ˌəʊpən ðə ˈdɔːʳ fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
to give someone an opportunity to do something, for example the opportunity to do a particular job :
▪ My experience in the Peace Corps really opened doors for me when I started looking for a job.
▪ Alice Coachman’s Olympic success opened the door for generations of African-American track athletes.
5. to use an opportunity
▷ take the opportunity /ˌteɪk ði ɒpəˈtjuːnə̇tiǁ-ɑːpərˈtuː-/ [verb phrase]
take the opportunity to do something
▪ I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your help.
take the opportunity of doing something
▪ I’m going to take every opportunity of going to see Brian while he’s living in Germany.
▷ grab the chance /ˌgræb ðə ˈtʃɑːnsǁ-ˈtʃæns/ [verb phrase] informal
to quickly use an opportunity to do something, especially when you think you might not get another chance :
▪ It may be the last time he offers you the job so I’d grab the chance while you can.
grab the chance to do something
▪ Knowing how difficult it is to find a job I grabbed the chance to be trained as an electrician.
▷ jump at the chance/opportunity /ˈdʒʌmp ət ðə ˌtʃɑːnsǁ -ˌtʃæns, ɒpəˌtjuːnə̇ti ǁ-ɑːpərˌtuː-/ [verb phrase]
to eagerly and quickly use an opportunity to do something :
▪ The early retirement plan is excellent and I’m surprised that people haven’t jumped at the opportunity.
jump at the chance/opportunity to do something
▪ When the resort was put up for sale, the Millers jumped at the chance to buy it.
▪ She thought Lewis would jump at the opportunity to make some extra money on weekends.
jump at the chance/opportunity of doing something
▪ Who wouldn’t jump at the chance of spending a month in Australia?
▷ strike while the iron is hot /ˌstraɪk waɪl ði ˌaɪəʳn ɪz ˈhɒtǁ-ˈhɑːt/ [verb phrase]
to do something quickly, while you are in a situation in which you are most likely to be successful :
▪ Don’t wait until tomorrow before you tell him, strike while the iron is hot!
▷ make hay while the sun shines /meɪk ˌheɪ waɪl ðə ˈsʌn ˌʃaɪnz/ [verb phrase] spoken
to take the opportunity to do something now while the conditions are good, because you might not be able to do it later :
▪ Let’s make hay while the sun shines and finish this project before I start falling asleep.
▷ opportunist /ˈɒpətjuːnɪst, ˈɒpətjuːnəstǁˌɑːpərˈtuː-/ [countable noun]
someone who always looks for and takes opportunities that might make them more successful -- used to show disapproval :
▪ It is difficult to tell whether he really wants to help May or whether he is just an opportunist.
▪ As the finance company started to fail a few opportunists managed to make more money out of it.
6. to not use an opportunity
▷ miss a chance/an opportunity /ˌmɪs ə ˈtʃɑːns, ən ˌɒpəˈtjuːnə̇tiǁ-ˈtʃæns-, ˌɑːpərˈtuː-/ [verb phrase]
miss a chance/an opportunity of
▪ Denise never misses the chance of a free meal.
miss a chance/an opportunity to do something
▪ Don’t miss this great opportunity to fly for half price.
▪ Dan never misses an opportunity to remind me that I still owe him money.
miss your chance/opportunity
▪ Jerry’s already sold the car to someone else. You’ve missed your chance.
▷ miss out on /ˌmɪs ˈaʊt ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to not use the chance to do something enjoyable or useful, especially when this is not a good thing :
▪ If you don’t come to the picnic you’ll miss out on all the fun.
▪ I don’t want to be the type of father who is so busy he misses out on his daughter’s childhood.
▷ blow it/blow your chance /ˈbləʊ ɪt, ˌbləʊ jɔːʳ ˈtʃɑːnsǁ-ˈtʃæns/ [verb phrase] informal
to waste a chance that you had to do or get something good :
▪ Don’t panic and talk too much in the interview or you’ll really blow it.
▪ I was afraid I’d blown my chance but she agreed to go out again on Saturday night.
blow your chances of doing something
▪ She started running much too fast at the beginning and blew her chances of winning the race.
▷ miss the boat /ˌmɪs ðə ˈbəʊt/ [verb phrase] informal
to be too late to use an opportunity to do something good :
▪ Buy your shares in the company now or you’ll miss the boat.
▪ He didn’t get his application in early enough so he missed the boat.
▷ let something slip through your fingers /let something ˌslɪp θruː jɔːʳ ˈfɪŋgəʳz/ [verb phrase]
to not use a good opportunity when you are able to, especially an opportunity that you will not get again :
▪ We had an opportunity to win the championship last season and we let it slip through our fingers.
▷ lost opportunity /ˌlɒst ɒpəˈtjuːnə̇tiǁˌlɔːst ɑːpərˈtuː-/ [noun phrase]
an opportunity that you wasted by not using it to become successful, enjoy yourself etc :
▪ If you don’t take the job it’ll just be another lost opportunity in your life.