jackpot
Americannoun
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the chief prize or the cumulative stakes in a game or contest, as in bingo, a quiz contest, or a slot machine.
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Poker. a pot that accumulates until a player opens the betting with a pair of predetermined denomination, usually jacks or better.
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an outstanding reward or success.
idioms
noun
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any large prize, kitty, or accumulated stake that may be won in gambling, such as a pool in poker that accumulates until the betting is opened with a pair of jacks or higher
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to win a jackpot
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informal to achieve great success, esp through luck
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Etymology
Origin of jackpot
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; of uncertain origin
Explanation
A jackpot is a pile of money won during a game such as a poker. It's also any example of good fortune. Originally, a jackpot was a pile of money in poker that accumulated until someone produced a pair of jacks (or something better). These days, a jackpot is any kind of prize, winnings, or success. If you get a high-paying job, you hit the jackpot. If you married a wonderful person, you hit the jackpot. Sometimes a jackpot is specific to a game, like the money won from a hand of 21, but any good fortune can be considered a jackpot.
Vocabulary lists containing jackpot
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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.
And sometimes — the true jackpot — there’s a crusty half-loaf of sourdough, which instantly checks off one of my weekly anchor ingredients for just a few dollars.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
It was his jackpot worth more than money.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
Former Tata Steel workers in south Wales are celebrating after winning a £1m lottery jackpot.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
Beasley Allen objected to the settlement at the time, preferring to go for jackpot verdicts, and the agreement blew up.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Smiling, he said, “Everyone has agreed that we should have a jackpot for the winner. I’ve been picked to do the collecting.”
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
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.
