chance
gb/t͡ʃˈæns/ us/t͡ʃˈæns/
A2
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
possibility of something happening
How likely it is that something will happen.
Usage pattern:
a chance of [something happening]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'chance' with 'opportunity'. 'Chance' can mean probability, while 'opportunity' means a favorable situation to do something.
Synonyms
possibility (More general and neutral; can apply to situations beyond probability.)
|
likelihood (Slightly more formal and technical than 'chance'.)
Antonyms
certainty (Indicates something will definitely happen, opposite of chance.)
Collocations
good chance
|slim chance
|equal chance
|chance of success
|chance to win
Themes
daily life
|probability
|decision-making
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- There’s a good chance it will rain tomorrow.
- She has little chance of getting the job.
- Is there any chance we can meet earlier?
- They have an equal chance of winning the game.
- There's no chance he will agree to that plan.
Learner examples
- There is a chance it will rain.
- He has a good chance to win.
- Is there a chance we can talk?
- She has no chance to get that job.
- We have the same chance to win.
Noun
A2
entity
2
opportunity to do something
A time when you can do something you want or need to do.
Usage pattern:
a chance to [do something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'probability' sense. Here, 'chance' means an occasion, not likelihood.
Synonyms
opportunity (Very close in meaning, though 'opportunity' often sounds more formal.)
Antonyms
missed opportunity (Refers to a lost or wasted favorable situation.)
Collocations
get a chance
|give someone a chance
|miss a chance
|once-in-a-lifetime chance
Themes
daily life
|career
|goals
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- I finally got the chance to visit Paris.
- Please give me a chance to explain.
- She missed her chance by arriving late.
- This is your big chance to impress the boss.
Learner examples
- I have a chance to go to London.
- He gave me a chance to speak.
- She missed her chance to win.
- This is my chance to try new food.
Noun
B1
event
3
unplanned or accidental event
Something that happens without planning or control.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'by chance' with 'by choice'. The former means accidentally, not intentionally.
Synonyms
coincidence ('Coincidence' often refers to two events happening together unexpectedly.)
|
accident ('Accident' often implies an unwanted or harmful event.)
Antonyms
intention (Implies deliberate planning, opposite of unplanned occurrence.)
Collocations
by chance
|pure chance
|meet by chance
Themes
daily life
|probability
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- We met purely by chance in the supermarket.
- It was no mere chance that they were both there.
- By sheer chance, she found her lost keys.
Learner examples
- I met him by chance in the park.
- It was pure chance that we saw each other.
- She found the book by chance.
Verb
B2
action
4
do something accidentally or unexpectedly
To do or find something without planning it.
Usage pattern:
to chance upon [something/someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this verb form with 'take a chance'. Here it means accidental discovery, not risk-taking.
Synonyms
stumble upon (Informal; emphasizes unexpected discovery.)
|
come across (Neutral; commonly used for finding things unexpectedly.)
Collocations
chance upon
|chance across
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- I chanced upon an old friend while traveling.
- She chanced across a rare book in the shop.
- They chanced upon a beautiful hidden beach.
Learner examples
- I chanced upon my teacher in the city.
- He chanced across an old photo.
- We chanced upon a small cafe.
Grammar
Dictionary form
chance
IPA
GB/t͡ʃˈæns/
US/t͡ʃˈæns/
Syllables & stress
chance (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (chance)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: chance
- Plural: chance, chances
Verb
- Base: chance
- 3rd Person Singular: chances
- Present Participle: chancing
- Past: chanced
- Past Participle: chanced
Word family
Forms
chances
noun
chancing
verb
chanced
verb
Related words
chancy
adjective
Advanced or less common
chancer
noun
Expressions
by chance
1/bˈaɪ t͡ʃˈæns/
fixed phrase
happening without planning
Something that happens without being planned or expected.
Examples
- I met her purely by chance at the café.
- He found the letter by chance while cleaning his desk.
fat chance
1/fˈæt t͡ʃˈæns/
idiom
informal
sarcastic way to say no possibility
'Fat chance' means there is almost no possibility of something happening, and is often said sarcastically.
Examples
- "Will he lend you money?" "Fat chance."
- Fat chance we’ll get tickets now that it’s sold out.
on the off-chance
1/ˈɔn ðə ˈɔf t͡ʃˈæns/
fixed phrase
in case something unlikely happens
Doing something because there is a small possibility it will help or succeed.
Examples
- I called him on the off-chance he was still at home.
- She packed her swimsuit on the off-chance they would go swimming.
stand a chance
1/stˈænd ə t͡ʃˈæns/
fixed phrase
have a possibility of success
To have some possibility of winning or succeeding.
Examples
- We don’t stand a chance against such a strong team.
- She stands a good chance of passing the exam.
take a chance
1/tˈeɪk ə t͡ʃˈæns/
fixed phrase
do something risky for possible gain
To try something that might fail but could bring success if it works.
Examples
- You should take a chance and apply for the job.
- They took a chance on investing in the new company.