lottery

lottery — noun

1. a type of gambling run by a government or charity to raise money, where people b

1.名詞B1
釋義

a type of gambling run by a government or charity to raise money, where people buy numbered tickets and prizes are given to those whose numbers are picked at random

例句

Christopher bought a lottery ticket every Friday, hoping to win the jackpot one day.

buy a lottery ticket

The state lottery raised millions of dollars for education last year.

state lottery for government-run schemes

同義詞
  • raffle

    similar idea of buying chances, but raffles usually have a smaller number of prizes and are often held for a single charity event rather than as a permanent system

  • drawing

    a more general term for any random selection of winners; less commercial than a lottery and may refer to a non-monetary prize

  • sweepstakes

    typically free to enter and used for promotions; prizes are often smaller and the selection method may not involve numbered tickets

文法句型

play + the + lottery

win + the + lottery

buy + a + lottery + ticket

用法筆記

Commonly modified by 'national', 'state', or 'charity' to specify the organizer. The phrase 'win the lottery' is a fixed expression widely used to describe sudden financial success, even when no actual lottery is involved.

常見錯誤

❌I won a lottery from the store.
✅I bought a lottery ticket from the store.
💡The word 'lottery' refers to the game itself, not the slip of paper you buy.
❌The office held a lottery for the holiday gift exchange.
✅The office held a raffle for the holiday gift exchange.
💡A small, one-time drawing is usually called a 'raffle', not a 'lottery'.

2. a situation where the result depends entirely on good or bad luck, with little o

2.名詞B2
釋義

a situation where the result depends entirely on good or bad luck, with little or no connection to how much effort or skill is involved

例句

Getting into that school is a lottery — it has nothing to do with your grades.

it's a lottery for unpredictable situations

Gabriel knew that finding a parking spot in the city centre was a complete lottery.

complete lottery for emphasis

同義詞
  • gamble

    focuses on the decision to take a risky action, whereas 'lottery' emphasizes the lack of control over the outcome

  • crapshoot

    informal American term for a risky, uncertain situation; stronger negative tone than 'lottery'

  • matter of luck

    a more neutral and descriptive phrase; lacks the slightly critical tone of 'lottery' in this sense

反義詞
  • sure thing

    a guaranteed outcome; the opposite of a lottery

  • guarantee

    something promised or assured; a lottery has no guarantees

文法句型

be + a + lottery

it + be + a + lottery

feel like + a + lottery

用法筆記

Nearly always appears in the singular with an indefinite article ('a lottery'). Common in the fixed expression 'it's a lottery', which expresses frustration with a system that seems unfair or unpredictable.

常見錯誤

❌Life is a lottery game.
✅Life is a lottery.
💡In the metaphorical sense, 'lottery' already conveys the idea of chance; adding 'game' is redundant.
❌The outcome is like a lottery game.
✅The outcome is a lottery.
💡Use 'a lottery' directly; 'like a lottery game' is unnecessarily wordy.