bet
verb (used with object)
to wager with (something or someone).
Showing results for "bet"
- a variation of beth.
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Slang dictionary results for bet.
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betes.
bet
1 American
[bet]
/ bɛt /
verb (used with object)
bets,
present (3rd person singular)
bet,
past participle, past
betted,
past participle, past
betting
present participle
verb (used without object)
bets,
present (3rd person singular)
bet,
past participle, past
betted,
past participle, past
betting
present participle
noun
-
a pledge of a forfeit risked on some uncertain outcome; wager.
Where do we place our bets?
-
that which is pledged.
a two-dollar bet.
-
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.
-
an act or instance of betting.
It's a bet, then?
-
a person, plan of action, etc., considered as being a good alternative; choice.
Your best bet is to sell your stocks now.
idioms
-
all bets are off. see all bets are off.
-
you bet! of course! surely!.
You bet I'd like to be there!
bet
2
American
[beyt, bet]
/ beɪt, bɛt /
noun
BET
3
American
abbreviation
Trademark.
bet.
4
American
abbreviation
bet
British
/ bɛt /
noun
-
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
-
the predicted result in such an agreement
his bet was that the horse would win
-
a person, event, etc, considered as likely to succeed or occur
it's a good bet that they will succeed
-
a course of action (esp in the phrase one's best bet )
-
informal an opinion; view
my bet is that you've been up to no good
verb
-
to make or place a bet with (a person or persons)
-
(tr) to stake (money, etc) in a bet
-
informal (tr; may take a clause as object) to predict (a certain outcome)
I bet she fails
-
informal of course; naturally
bet
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
betsimple
-
betssimple
-
have betperfect
-
have bettedperfect
-
has betperfect
-
has bettedperfect
-
am bettingprogressive
-
are bettingprogressive
-
is bettingprogressive
-
have been bettingperfect progressive
-
has been bettingperfect progressive
Past
-
betsimple
-
bettedsimple
-
had betperfect
-
had bettedperfect
-
was bettingprogressive
-
were bettingprogressive
-
had been bettingperfect progressive
Future
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”
Explanation
To bet is to gamble or risk something valuable against an unknown outcome. Poker players bet on each hand, hoping the cards they hold will beat those of the other players. Sometimes you bet money on a sporting event, wagering on the team you think will win and collecting even more money if it does. It's even more common to bet in a figurative way, saying something like, "I'd be willing to bet that the bus will be late again." The money you risk when you bet is also called a bet. The word probably comes from the now-obsolete noun abet, or "abetment."
Vocabulary lists containing bet
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.
See Examples For:
Or if you’re doing well in your career but taking time to shift gears, then you can bet on your future self.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Don’t bet on his arguments succeeding in court if Kalshi sues Wisconsin.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
The Wisconsin Elections Commission warned that voters cannot legally cast a ballot in an election they have bet on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Repeat the survey but instead guarantee £5 or offer a 50/50 chance for a £100, and most people will probably go for the £100 bet.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
“I bet I’m moving all this stuff for nothing!”
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
Duirng her performance, eagle-eyed viewers would know that last night’s win marked her seventh BET award, since she brought out the other six for a picture-perfect moment during “Pretty and Petty.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
The study shows that two important BET proteins, BRD2 and BRD4, actually perform different tasks at separate stages of gene activation.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 9, 2026
Prior to joining the Journal, Annie designed for the Associated Press, BET, and Comedy Central, where she created art for legacy shows such as "The Daily Show."
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026
“Anderson was like, ‘Do you know anything about BET, son?’
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2026
The rest of the guys were inside waiting to make their calls or playing cards or watching rap videos on BET.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
“This is a big bet. These pay packages will not be realized unless Meta achieves massive future success, benefiting all of our shareholders,” a Meta spokesman told Barron’s.
From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026
“It’s a bet. That’s what it is, and it doesn’t look or feel any different than that.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026
Weeks later, Betts came across a tweet that read: “Hey @Dodgers @mookiebetts @SportsNetLA a bet is a bet. Meet Francesca Mookie Mancuso” with a picture of the newborn and her birth certificate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2025
Asked if that deters those in law enforcement, Romanova said: “You bet. A prosecutor doesn’t want to go to prison for 15 years.”
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 26, 2023
“I bet. It’s a shame what kids can do these days with computers. I thought we gave you all too much homework. I mean, what jerk would find the time, you know?”
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
Most investors expect the Fed to hold rates at 3.50-3.75 percent for the fifth straight meeting, according to CME's FedWatch monitoring tool -- but bets on a rate-hike have been rising.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
South Korean stocks suffered one of their steepest plunges on Wednesday, with the blood-letting that has battered chip firms over the past month deepening as nervous investors unwound their bets on the AI boom.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Exchange-traded funds designed to allow traders to place magnified bets on stocks and other assets have seen a surge in investor interest in recent years.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Wisconsin is among many states that have taken the position that the bets on prediction markets amount to illegal gambling, with many saying it should be subject to state regulation and taxes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Anyone in the business of making smart bets couldn’t not do it.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Some of those purchases may have been partly driven by hedge funds that had betted against GameStop, trying to cover their positions, and some of those funds made bad losses.
From Reuters ● Oct. 18, 2021
He started Plugable and betted big that depending on Amazon would turn his idea into a business.
From New York Times ● Dec. 19, 2019
No one betted on Ms. Warren dropping out.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 13, 2019
Prosecutors alleged that local media coverage had "aided and betted the overseas media's contempt".
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2019
Once we would have said, Mr. Pecksniff quitted the firm, betted on the horses, and wetted his whistle, then wedded his sweetheart in a suit that fitted him perfectly.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Strategists at the bank, led by Max Kettner, are betting on equities as they have remained resilient despite geopolitical volatility and pullbacks in the technology sector.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
And states have good reasons for making betting on elections illegal.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Nvidia is betting on a trillion-dollar robotics boom.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
“There’s likely a nonzero chance that courts will decide Kalshi and Polymarket are betting platforms,” said Don Millis, the Republican chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Finny finally betting his icebox and losing it, that contraption, to me.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
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.
