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Glite Dictionary
to thank one's lucky stars

to thank one's lucky stars

10 6.7
Feel very glad because something lucky happened
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : dar gracias al cielo
  • After winning the lottery, she thanked her lucky stars for her good fortune.
  • just thank your lucky stars

Examples

  • Thank your lucky stars you have not lost your job as I have.

    Blog text (34)

  • I always thank my lucky stars that I found such a supportive friend.

  • Yeah, you two should thank your lucky stars

    Dead Genesis (2010)

  • And you thank your lucky stars every day that you do.

    Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023)

  • You ought to thank your lucky stars, young lady.

    Picnic (1955)

  • Sometimes I thank my lucky stars my heart is free.

    Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)

  • I thank my lucky stars That there are people like you who really do care.

    Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (1986)

  • "I thank my lucky stars every day that I have the opportunity to be a part of it all."

    Academic text (2006)

  • Well, thank your lucky stars for such a good woman as your aunt taking you in.

    Pollyanna (1960)

  • I thank my lucky stars every day for those men who played the key roles I needed.

    Blog text (26)

Synonyms

to count one's blessings
vsto thank one's lucky stars
  • Informal
17 4.1

To be thankful for the good things in your life

focuses on gratitude for a single fortunate event rather than ongoing appreciation

How Grateful

to thank one's lucky stars
  • Informal
10 6.7
to appreciate
∞ 3.2
to thank
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

thank one's lucky stars infinitive
thanked one's lucky stars past
thanked one's lucky stars past participle
thanking one's lucky stars present participle
thanks one's lucky stars third person singular

Morphology

thank + one + lucky + stars

The components 'thank' and 'lucky' directly signal gratitude for good fortune, so a B1 learner who knows the words could likely infer the general idea. However, the personification of 'stars' and the conventionalized idiomatic phrasing make the exact meaning culturally fixed and metaphorical rather than fully compositional.

Etymology

Thank one's lucky stars may come from old beliefs that the stars watch over our lives and bring good luck, so people would look up and literally thank the stars after a lucky event. So today thank one's lucky stars means 'to be very grateful for good luck'.