CHANCY


Meaning of CHANCY in English

adjective

also chanc·ey ˈchan(t)sē, -aan-, -ain-, -ȧn-, -si

( chancier ; chanciest )

Etymology: chance (I) + -y

1. Scotland : bringing good luck : auspicious — often used with a negative

whistling maidens and crawing hens were ne'er very chancy — Henderson's Scottish Proverbs

2.

a. : marked by uncertainty of outcome or prospect : open to unpredictable developments or contingencies or to eventualities entirely subject to chance

a chancy appeal, at best, to the shifting and unguessable sympathies of their readers — Robert Morse

b. : showing erratic inconsistent traits : unpredictable or capricious in decisions and actions : given to taking chances

she was a brilliant, if chancy player — Rose Macaulay

c. : attended with doubtful or adverse chances : risky , hazardous

virgin country, untamed forest, no road but a chancy track — Thomas Wood †1950

Synonyms: see random

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.