まぐれ
解説 Definition
偶然の幸運や予期しない成功。思いがけない幸運な結果。
A fluke is something good or successful that happens by chance rather than skill or planning. It is often used when a surprising result seems accidental. The word can suggest that the result may not happen again.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
fluke は "luck" よりも、実力というより偶然で当たった一発という感じで覚えると残りやすいです。会話では It was just a fluke. の形が多く、「たまたまうまくいっただけ」。試験・スポーツ・仕事で一度だけ出た好結果に合いやすく、skill や ability と対比すると意味が固まります。継続する幸運の fortune ではなく、単発のまぐれ当たりというニュアンスです。
Keep it next to "luck," but make the difference clear: a "fluke" is not steady good fortune, but one lucky result that happens by accident. The sentence "It was just a fluke" is worth memorizing because it appears often in speech. This helps you connect the word with one-time success, not real skill.
例文
Winning the lottery was a complete fluke, so she donated part of the prize.
宝くじに当たったのはまったくのまぐれだったので、彼女は賞金の一部を寄付した。
The software passed the stress test without any changes, but that was just a fluke.
そのソフトウェアが一切の修正なしでストレステストに合格したのはただのまぐれだった。
It was a fluke that they bumped into each other on that rainy night.
あの雨の夜に彼らが偶然出会ったのはまさにまぐれだった。
fluke の類義語・関連語
fluke の語源・成り立ち Etymology
fluke は19世紀の英語で、もとはビリヤードの「偶然入った一打」を指したとされますが、それ以前の起源は不詳です。fluky や flukish も同語族で、腕前ではなく偶然の当たりから出た成功という感触が、そのまま「まぐれ」に残っています。
Fluke appeared in 19th-century English and was first used for a lucky or accidental success, especially in games such as billiards. Its earlier origin is uncertain. The word kept that sense of something happening by chance rather than skill, which is why it still suggests a lucky accident.
外部辞書で調べる
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