Russian roulette
Americannoun
noun
-
a game of chance in which each player in turn spins the cylinder of a revolver loaded with only one cartridge and presses the trigger with the barrel against his own head
-
any act which, if repeated several times, is likely to have disastrous consequences
Etymology
Origin of Russian roulette
First recorded in 1935–40
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.
Posting in r/Knitting can be like a game of Russian roulette.
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2026
Others, even more cynically, play a form of Russian roulette with their clients’ money.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
“We can’t play Russian roulette with the destiny of millions of people,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
"For governments to allow private entities to essentially play Russian roulette with every human being on earth is, in my view, a total dereliction of duty," said Russell, a prominent voice on AI safety.
From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026
No one ever liked being sent back to the agency, of course, entering into the Russian roulette of a brand-new home.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
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