gamble
Americanverb (used without object)
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gambles,
present (3rd person singular)
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gambled,
past participle, past
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gambling
present participle
-
to play at any game of chance for money or other stakes.
-
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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gambles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
gambled,
past participle, past
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gambling
present participle
-
to lose or squander by betting (usually followed byaway ).
He gambled all his hard-earned money away in one night.
-
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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gambles
plural
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any matter or thing involving risk or hazardous uncertainty.
- Synonyms:
- flier, speculation, hazard, venture
-
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
-
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
-
a risky act or venture
-
a bet, wager, or other risk or chance taken for possible monetary gain
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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gamblernoun
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gamblingnoun
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nongamblernoun
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regambleverb
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outgambleverb (used with object)
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overgambleverb (used with object)
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antigamblingadjective
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progamblingadjective
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ungambledadjective
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ungamblingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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gamblesimple
-
gamblessimple
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have gambledperfect
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has gambledperfect
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am gamblingprogressive
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are gamblingprogressive
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is gamblingprogressive
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have been gamblingperfect progressive
-
has been gamblingperfect progressive
Past
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gambledsimple
-
had gambledperfect
-
was gamblingprogressive
-
were gamblingprogressive
-
had been gamblingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
It was a gamble, but one Fulham and Khan believed was worth taking.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
"Seeing the condition of the recently burned lands... we didn't dare to gamble and assume he'll survive."
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
They saw the ARM as a necessary gamble, the couple told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
But that’s a bit of a gamble because time is just never on anyone’s side.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
He rubbed a thumb over his tattoo, hoping that his gamble had been worth it.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
They take big gambles on trends — carry trades, momentum and so on.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
Here, Holland’s Telemachus gambles Athena is hiding inside half the people he meets until his father chides, “Don’t look for gods in men, you’ll just be disappointed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Tino Livramento's departure from England's World Cup squad has exposed the gambles and potential weaknesses in head coach Thomas Tuchel's defensive selection.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
Having just raised $122 billion in new funds at a valuation of $852 billion, OpenAI can probably afford a few speculative gambles.
From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026
And then, on the twenty-ninth move, with the position equal, Fischer engaged in one of the most dangerous gambles of his career.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
At trial, Goldstein gambled on himself by taking the stand to testify.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"Like many legacy automakers it gambled on motorists making a quick move to EVs - and lost as the world shifted."
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
That means Disney and ABC either chose to disregard its existence, or gambled – correctly, it turns out – that the public wouldn’t bother to look too deeply into what happened.
From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026
The moves were a complete departure from last year, when the Rams wrongly gambled that a young and aggressive pass rush could offset their decision to not make a single upgrade to the secondary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2026
She had gambled on the fact that Ammu, whatever else she did, however angry she was, would never publicly admit to her relationship with Velutha.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
A top chipmaker’s chief executive likened some AI investors’ behavior to gambling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
“From a cultural and marketing standpoint,” much of the ETF industry’s product development over the last year has been “highly speculative” or akin to gambling, Nadig said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026
The Prison Radio Association's series about problem gambling, Hold or Fold, won the overall top prize for best podcast, and the award for best factual podcast.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled against prediction-market operator Kalshi on Friday, saying Ohio and Tennessee can apply their gambling laws to its sports-related event contracts.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
“When the wind and the current are right, the poop from the gambling boat floats out of the basin and down the shoreline,” I said, “straight to Thunder Beach.”
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
