fortune
gb/fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/ us/fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/
B1
English
~ 2800
vagyon, szerencse, véletlen, sors, jövő, szerencsét próbál
NOUN
B1
1
vagyon
B1
Usage pattern:
to make [a] fortune
She made a fortune by investing in real estate.
Vagyont szerzett azzal, hogy ingatlanokba fektetett.
The necklace must be worth a fortune.
Ez a nyaklánc biztosan egy vagyont ér.
He inherited a fortune from his grandmother.
They spent a fortune on their wedding.
Learner examples
He made a fortune in business.
Vagyont szerzett az üzleti életben.
This car costs a fortune.
Ez az autó egy vagyonba kerül.
She got a fortune from her uncle.
They spent a fortune on the house.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'fortune' with 'opportunity' due to the phrase 'good fortune'. In this sense, it refers only to wealth.
Meaning
A very large sum of money
Collocations
make a fortune
|spend a fortune
|inherit a fortune
|cost a fortune
Synonyms
wealth (More general term for abundance of valuable resources, not necessarily money alone.)
|
riches (Often more literary or dramatic in tone than 'fortune'.)
Antonyms
poverty (The state of having little or no money or resources.)
Themes
business
|wealth
|daily life
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very large amount of money or valuable things.
A great amount of wealth, especially when considered as valuable possessions or money.
NOUN
B2
2
By good fortune, we arrived just before it started raining.
Szerencsére épp azelőtt érkeztünk meg, hogy elkezdett esni az eső.
They met by sheer fortune.
Teljesen véletlenül találkoztak.
Fortune smiled on them during their travels.
Learner examples
By good fortune, we found the lost dog.
Szerencsére megtaláltuk az elveszett kutyát.
He had the fortune to meet her.
Volt szerencséje találkozni vele.
Fortune was with us today.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this meaning with 'wealth'; here, it refers to chance, not money.
Meaning
Luck or chance in events
Collocations
good fortune
|bad fortune
|by fortune
Synonyms
luck (More casual and common term for chance events.)
Antonyms
misfortune (Bad luck; chance events with negative outcomes.)
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Luck or chance that decides what happens to someone.
Chance or luck as it affects human affairs.
NOUN
B2
3
He went to the city to seek his fortune.
A városba ment, hogy szerencsét próbáljon.
The old woman claimed she could tell your fortune.
Az idős asszony azt állította, hogy meg tudja jósolni a jövődet.
Her fortune changed after she got the new job.
Learner examples
She can tell your fortune.
Meg tudja jósolni a jövődet.
He left home to find his fortune.
Elment otthonról, hogy szerencsét próbáljon.
His fortune changed after the trip.
Meaning
A person's future or destiny
Collocations
tell someone's fortune
|seek your fortune
Synonyms
fate (Implies inevitability and predetermination more strongly than 'fortune'.)
|
destiny (Often has a more poetic or grand connotation than 'fortune'.)
Antonyms
free will (The ability to choose one's actions regardless of destiny.)
Themes
daily life
|philosophy
|core_vocabulary
Definition
What will happen to someone in the future.
The future events that will happen to someone, often regarded as predetermined.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fortune
IPA
GB/fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/
US/fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/
Syllables & stress
for - tune (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (for)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fortune
- Plural: fortune, fortunes
Word family
Forms
fortunes
noun
Core family
fortunate
adjective B1
fortunately
adverb B1
Negative and opposite forms
Expressions
cost a fortune
1/kˈɔst ə fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/
fixed phrase
Be very expensive
To be very expensive and need a lot of money.
Examples
- That designer dress must have cost a fortune.
- It cost us a fortune to repair the car.
fortune smiles on [someone]
1/fˈɔɹt͡ʃun smˈaɪlz ˈɔn sˈʌmwˌʌn/
idiom
literary
Receive good luck unexpectedly
To have good luck happen to you without planning it.
Examples
- Fortune smiled on him when he found the missing keys.
- Fortune smiled on the team as they won without effort.
make a fortune
1/mˈeɪk ə fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/
fixed phrase
Earn a lot of money
To get a lot of money, usually quickly or easily.
Examples
- She made a fortune selling handmade jewelry online.
- He hopes to make a fortune in the stock market.
seek your fortune
1/sˈik jˈʊɹ fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/
fixed phrase
Try to get rich or successful
To go somewhere new to try to become rich or successful.
Examples
- Many young people went west to seek their fortunes.
- He left his hometown to seek his fortune in the big city.
tell someone's fortune
1/tˈɛl sˈʌmwˌʌnz fˈɔɹt͡ʃun/
fixed phrase
Predict someone's future events
To say what will happen to someone in the future, often using special cards or other methods.
Examples
- She told my fortune using tarot cards.
- They visited a woman who could tell their fortunes.