chance

adjectiveonly before noun

UK /tʃɑːns/

1
not planned or expected
a chance meeting/discovery/encounter
Synonyms and related words
Not planned
random
arbitrary
spontaneous

chance

adjectiveonly before noun

US /tʃæns/

1
not planned or expected
a chance meeting/discovery/encounter
Synonyms and related words
Not planned
random
arbitrary
spontaneous

chance

noun

UK /tʃɑːns/

Word Forms

singular	chance
plural	chances

1
countable usually singularan opportunity for you to do something, especially something that you want to do
get/have a chance:
We work together whenever we get a chance.
the chance to do something:
Participants are given the chance to learn another language.
chance for:
The meetings are very short, so there is little chance for real discussion.
blow your chance informal (=have an opportunity but not use it well):
They’ve blown their chance of getting the money back.
given the chance (=if you had the opportunity):
What would you say, given the chance to talk to her again?
give/offer/provide a chance:
The show provides a chance for the public to look at all the latest software.
jump at/seize/grab a chance (=use an opportunity when it appears):
Gina got up to leave and Sam, seizing his chance, followed her out.
a second/another chance:
These players deserve another chance.
last chance:
I warned her that this was her last chance.
Synonyms and related words
Opportunities
opportunity
chance
choice
1. 1a
  countable usually pluralused for talking about the opportunities that someone has in life
  Unemployment is clearly associated with reduced life chances.
  Synonyms and related words
  Opportunities
  opportunity
  chance
  choice
2
countable/uncountable the possibility that something will happen
The chance of rain is less than 20%.
a chance of (doing) something:
For the first time in 15 years, they have a realistic chance of winning an election.
chance (that):
Is there any chance they will reverse their decision?
a good/fair/slim chance:
There is now only a slim chance that a recession can be avoided.
not stand a chance (=be not at all likely to be able to do something):
He doesn’t stand a chance of winning the tournament.
a fighting chance (=a chance to succeed if you try very hard):
We still have a fighting chance of beating them if we keep our minds on the game.
a fifty-fifty chance/an even chance (=a situation in which the chances of something happening or not happening are equal):
He had a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the operation.
Synonyms and related words
The possibility that something will happen
possibility
chance
probability
3
uncountable the way things happen without being planned or expected
The results may simply be due to chance.
by chance:
It was simply by chance that Nicholson was cast in the film.
pure/sheer chance:
Pure chance had brought us together that day.
Synonyms and related words
Not planned
random
arbitrary
spontaneous
4
what are the chances?
used for saying that something happened even though it was very unlikely to happen
I saw the same model of MG three times today. What are the chances!
Submitted from:
United Kingdom on 12/04/2019
Open Dictionary - April2019

phrases

any chance of...?

be in with a chance

by any chance

someone’s chances

(the) chances are

chance would be a fine thing

on the off chance

take a chance

chance

noun

US /tʃæns/

Word Forms

singular	chance
plural	chances

1
countable usually singularan opportunity for you to do something, especially something that you want to do
chance for:
The meetings are very short, so there is little chance for real discussion.
the chance to do something:
Participants are given the chance to learn another language.
give/offer/provide a chance:
The show provides a chance for the public to look at all the latest software.
get/have a chance:
We work together whenever we get a chance.
jump at/seize/grab a chance (=use an opportunity when it appears):
Gina got up to leave and Sam, seizing his chance, followed her out.
blow your chance informal (=have an opportunity but not use it well):
They’ve blown their chance of getting the money back.
given the chance (=if you had the opportunity):
What would you say, given the chance to talk to her again?
a second/another chance:
These players deserve another chance.
last chance:
I warned her that this was her last chance.
Synonyms and related words
Opportunities
opportunity
chance
choice
2
countable/uncountable the possibility that something will happen
The chance of rain is less than 20%.
a chance of (doing) something:
For the first time in 15 years, they have a realistic chance of winning an election.
chance (that):
Is there any chance they will reverse their decision?
a good/fair/slim chance:
There is now only a slim chance that a recession can be avoided.
not stand a chance (=be not at all likely to be able to do something):
He doesn’t stand a chance of winning the tournament.
a fighting chance (=a chance to succeed if you try very hard):
We still have a fighting chance of beating them if we keep our minds on the game.
a fifty-fifty chance/an even chance (=a situation in which the chances of something happening or not happening are equal):
He had a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the operation.
Synonyms and related words
The possibility that something will happen
possibility
chance
probability
3
uncountable the way things happen without being planned or expected
The results may simply be due to chance.
by chance:
It was simply by chance that Nicholson was cast in the movie.
pure/sheer chance:
Pure chance had brought us together that day.
Synonyms and related words
Not planned
random
arbitrary
spontaneous
4
what are the chances?
used for saying that something happened even though it was very unlikely to happen
I saw the same model of MG three times today. What are the chances!
Submitted from:
United Kingdom on 12/04/2019
Open Dictionary - April2019

phrases

any chance of...?

by any chance

someone’s chances

(the) chances are

chance would be a fine thing

on the off chance

take a chance

chance

verb

UK /tʃɑːns/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	chance
he/she/it	chances
present participle	chancing
past tense	chanced
past participle	chanced

1
transitive to do something even though you know it involves a risk
He stepped back and chanced a look at Martha.
chance it informal:
It looked like rain so I decided not to chance it and brought my umbrella.
Synonyms and related words
To take risks
risk
dare
jeopardize
2
intransitive mainly literaryto do something in a way that is not planned
chance to:
Roger would have seen her if he had chanced to look round.
Synonyms and related words
To do something without preparation
rush into
fall into
plunge in

phrases

chance your arm/luck

phrasal verbs

chance on

chance

verb

US /tʃæns/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	chance
he/she/it	chances
present participle	chancing
past tense	chanced
past participle	chanced

1
transitive to do something even though you know it involves a risk
He stepped back and chanced a look at Martha.
chance it informal:
It looked like rain so I decided not to chance it and brought my umbrella.
Synonyms and related words
To take risks
risk
dare
jeopardize
2
intransitive mainly literaryto do something in a way that is not planned
chance to:
Roger would have seen her if he had chanced to look around.
Synonyms and related words
To do something without preparation
rush into
fall into
plunge in

phrasal verbs

chance on

chance

chance

chance ​‌‌‌

what are the chances?

chance ​‌‌‌

what are the chances?

chance

chance

chance

chance