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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to bet.
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
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all bets are off. see all bets are off.
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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
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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
-
to make or place a bet with (a person or persons)
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(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
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betsimple
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betssimple
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have betperfect
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have bettedperfect
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has betperfect
-
has bettedperfect
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am bettingprogressive
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are bettingprogressive
-
is bettingprogressive
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have been bettingperfect progressive
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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:
So maybe your best bet is to find a holistic planner who will listen to you and set up a plan for your money.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Almaraz plant in the western region of Extremadura was slated to close in 2028 as part of the government's plan to shut all nuclear reactors by 2035 and bet heavily on renewables.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
He also jumped back into Netflix, which he had placed a big bet on in 2022 only to walk away months later after it reported a loss in subscribers and a plan to introduce advertising.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
But that bet went sour as their value has fallen by around $10,000.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
“Rowdy,” I said, “that paint is built for speed. I’ll bet she could run like the wind.”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
They plan to launch in the late summer and have already announced unscripted deals and a partnership with BET.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The song, a diss track aimed at fellow rapper BIA, includes the lyric “Do she even got a BET award?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
When MOF is removed, BRD2 can no longer stay attached to chromatin, while other BET proteins remain largely unaffected.
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
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
“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 said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
“End of May, beginning of June is probably a safe bet. Something like that.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2026
"There are four or five teams within 0.2-0.3secs this year, I bet. That will put you within 0.2secs fighting for podiums or outside the top 10."
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2024
“Of course I will. She won’t even be mad, I bet. Your mom isn’t the mad type.”
From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead
The options market can be a venue for boom or bust bets, and traders lay down tiny sums that can pay out enormously if their bets prove correct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
While many of its venture capital peers have opted to spread their bets across both leading AI labs – OpenAI and Anthropic – Thrive is wedded to OpenAI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Products like options and leveraged ETFs allow investors to place speculative bets using their brokerage accounts, Cornell said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
While plenty of investors are piling into technology stocks, sharp market swings mean the bets don't always pay off, with prices often moving on every major headline.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Charlie, Jamie, and Ben entered the subprime mortgage market assuming they wanted to do what Mike Burry and Steve Eisman had already done, and find the very worst subprime bonds to lay bets against.
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
No one betted on Ms. Warren dropping out.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 13, 2019
It was the precursor to the euro but the experience ended in humiliation for Britain when hedge funds, including the Hungarian billionaire George Soros, betted against the pound — and won.
From Fox News ● Apr. 5, 2019
I have money on Wigan staying up, betted a few weeks back.
From BBC ● May 6, 2013
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
It is betting that shorter distances will be worth a more intimate guest experience with wildlife.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Hichilema, a 64-year-old tycoon won the presidency on his sixth attempt and was betting on job creation and an ambitious infrastructure drive to secure a final five-year term.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Bournemouth, who have extended their stadium sponsorship with Vitality insurance to the front of their shirts, will still have betting advertising.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
When it comes to elections, most states have laws prohibiting election betting in some form or fashion, according to a Pew Research Center analysis released in June.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
It does scare some of the new personal support workers though, which I’m betting is why his lunch dishes haven’t been cleared away yet.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
