bet
1 Americannoun
abbreviation
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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a pledge of a forfeit risked on some uncertain outcome; wager.
Where do we place our bets?
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that which is pledged.
a two-dollar bet.
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something that is bet on, as a competitor in a sporting event or a number in a lottery.
That horse looks like a good bet.
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an act or instance of betting.
It's a bet, then?
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a person, plan of action, etc., considered as being a good alternative; choice.
Your best bet is to sell your stocks now.
idioms
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all bets are off. all bets are off.
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you bet! of course! surely!.
You bet I'd like to be there!
abbreviation
noun
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an agreement between two parties that a sum of money or other stake will be paid by the loser to the party who correctly predicts the outcome of an event
-
the money or stake risked
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the predicted result in such an agreement
his bet was that the horse would win
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a person, event, etc, considered as likely to succeed or occur
it's a good bet that they will succeed
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a course of action (esp in the phrase one's best bet )
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informal an opinion; view
my bet is that you've been up to no good
verb
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to make or place a bet with (a person or persons)
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(tr) to stake (money, etc) in a bet
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informal (tr; may take a clause as object) to predict (a certain outcome)
I bet she fails
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informal of course; naturally
Etymology
Origin of bet
First recorded in 1585–95; perhaps special use of obsolete bet “better,” in phrase the bet “the advantage,” i.e., “the odds”
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.
Which is the safer bet: That U.S. equities in 2026 will once again defy gravity by rising in the face of extreme overvaluation, or that the far cheaper non-U.S. stocks will be the better performers?
From MarketWatch
The fall came after exchange operator CME Group increased margin requirements which required metals traders to put down more cash on their bets.
After waves of RTO mandates yielded mixed results, employers are betting a subtler strategy will be more effective at pulling workers back to their desks.
While investors have trimmed bets against sterling after November’s better-than-feared U.K. budget, expectations for further Bank of England interest-rates cuts next year could weigh on the currency.
Investors have been piling into the commodities on bets for more US rate cuts, a weaker dollar and geopolitical tensions.
From Barron's
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.
