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
-
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 )
-
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
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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
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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:
Its one sure bet left in the running -- and maybe its only statuette, says Rosen -- is a best actress prize for Jean Smart for playing the indefatigable Deborah Vance.
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
The contracts—known as perps—let traders bet around the clock and pile on leverage that amplifies their potential gains and losses, with the lack of expiration date further heightening the risks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
If Conor leaves Las Vegas with the WBC belt around his waist, you would not bet against his father being back for defence number one.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Nepal’s big bet on hydropower miscalculated one thing—monster floods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
“I bet he’s making a map,” Nigel whispers.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Even the news that ComicView, the iconic BET stand-up series, was getting a new reboot barely made waves online.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
In the new experiments, the researchers again found that BET bromodomain inhibitors slowed the growth of prostate cancer cell lines.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
He also made plays for Tegna and BET.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 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
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
“End of May, beginning of June is probably a safe bet. Something like that.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 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
"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
Finny said, “He just didn’t like the army, I bet. Why should he? What’s the point of it anyway?”
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
Federal authorities are also preparing to bring charges against a U.S. servicemember suspected of placing Polymarket bets on military operations that earned him more than $1 million, the Journal reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
They span genres and mix seasoned showrunners and bets on emerging talent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Asian stocks tumbled Friday as oil prices extended gains and bond yields held at multi-year highs as the Middle East crisis stoked supply concerns and a forecast-topping US inflation report ramped up rate hike bets.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
A mystery user earned about $22,000 placing bets on the quarterly earnings of companies such as Wells Fargo, the Home Depot and DoorDash, according to an analysis from Bubblemaps, a blockchain forensics firm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
If you are bitten by a Malaclaw, all bets, wagers and speculative ventures should be cancelled, as they are sure to go against the victim.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
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
A franchise that used to cycle through mostly forgettable quarterbacks and relied on suffocating defense now hopes to win a Super Bowl by betting that its budding star can outscore just about anyone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
The company is also betting on artificial intelligence.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Kim said he has been betting on sports-related wagers, as well as those related to the economy and politics, on Kalshi.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
The analysts put the chances for a hike at the Fed’s meeting in two weeks at under 50%, while betting markets recently were putting it just above 50%.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
If her optimism were contagious, I’d be betting on myself to win this whole thing.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
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.
