gamble
Americanverb (used without object)
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to play at any game of chance for money or other stakes.
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to stake or risk money, or anything of value, on the outcome of something involving chance.
to gamble on a toss of the dice.
verb (used with object)
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to lose or squander by betting (usually followed byaway ).
He gambled all his hard-earned money away in one night.
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to wager or risk (money or something else of value).
to gamble one's freedom.
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to take a chance on; venture; risk.
I'm gambling that our new store will be a success.
noun
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any matter or thing involving risk or hazardous uncertainty.
- Synonyms:
- flier, speculation, hazard, venture
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a venture in a game of chance for stakes, especially for high stakes.
verb
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(intr) to play games of chance to win money
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to risk or bet (money) on the outcome of an event, sport, etc
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to act with the expectation of
to gamble on its being a sunny day
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(often foll by away) to lose by or as if by betting; squander
noun
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a risky act or venture
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a bet, wager, or other risk or chance taken for possible monetary gain
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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outgambleverb (used with object)
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progamblingadjective
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ungambledadjective
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ungamblingadjective
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antigamblingadjective
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nongamblernoun
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regambleverb
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gamblingnoun
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gamblernoun
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overgambleverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has gambledperfect 3rd person singular
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have gambledperfect
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is gamblingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are gamblingprogressive
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am gamblingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been gamblingperfect progressive
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has been gamblingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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gamblingparticiple
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gamblessingular 3rd person
Past
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had gambledperfect
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were gamblingprogressive plural
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had been gamblingperfect progressive
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was gamblingprogressive singular
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gambledsimple
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gambledparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of gamble
1150–1200; Middle English gamenen to play ( Old English gamenian ), with substitution of -le for -en; see game 1
Explanation
When you gamble, you take a risky chance on something. When an entrepreneur invests her own money in her business, she gambles on its success. If you approach a stray dog, you gamble on its friendliness, and if you turn down a high-paying job to take a more interesting position, you gamble on it eventually paying off. Another way to gamble is to buy a lottery ticket or place a bet on a poker hand: when you gamble like this, you play a game of chance, risking some amount of money. Gamble is from Old English gammlen, "to play, jest, or be merry."
Vocabulary lists containing gamble
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tyson Foods TSN 1.37%increase; green up pointing triangle has tapped board member and former Procter & Gamble sales head Jeff Schomburger to succeed Donnie King as president and chief executive of the meat processor.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
If even Procter & Gamble has decided to route part of its logistics through Amazon, what can a kitchenware founder in Sacramento realistically do?
From Salon • May 27, 2026
Procter & Gamble, 3M, Lands’ End and American Eagle are among the first customers.
From Salon • May 27, 2026
Big names like Procter & Gamble, 3M, Lands' End and American Eagle are already signed up.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
Gamble said, “Sir, he’ll be back with all ten thousand.”
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
