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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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
-
all bets are off. see all bets are off.
-
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
-
a person, event, etc, considered as likely to succeed or occur
it's a good bet that they will succeed
-
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
-
betsimple
-
betssimple
-
have betperfect
-
have bettedperfect
-
has betperfect
-
has bettedperfect
-
am bettingprogressive
-
are bettingprogressive
-
is bettingprogressive
-
have been bettingperfect progressive
-
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:
But TSMC’s ADR premium soared during the postlockdown bubble, and then again as artificial-intelligence demand drove U.S. buyers to bet on the supplier of chips to Nvidia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
I’ll bet everyone except Rich Paul is hoping he’ll retire and free everyone else from the never-ending guessing game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
They have all bet their futures to some extent on rising AI use, investing in data centers that will make it possible to deliver the computing needed to process AI queries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Now they’re facing a hard truth: That bet is not paying off.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
“I’ll bet when he’s older, though, Thor will love spaghetti and meatballs,” Bat said happily, twirling a messy forkful of noodles.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
Duirng her performance, eagle-eyed viewers would know that last night’s win marked her seventh BET award, since she brought out the other six for a picture-perfect moment during “Pretty and Petty.”
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 self-made comedy renaissance man used sketch comedy as a vehicle to find success on BET, social media, books and touring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 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
Weeks later, Betts came across a tweet that read: “Hey @Dodgers @mookiebetts @SportsNetLA a bet is a bet. Meet Francesca Mookie Mancuso” with a picture of the newborn and her birth certificate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2025
Zuckerberg said he understood the frustration, and admitted: "I can't guarantee you that I'm going to be right about this bet. I do think that this is the direction that the world is going in."
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2023
“She lost her mom, I bet. Porpoises get caught in fishing nets all the time. They don’t like to travel alone.”
From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin
—Gold prices were back below $4,100 as higher real yields and rate-hike bets weighed on the non-yielding metal’s appeal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The proposed partnership would allow Robinhood users to place yes-or-no bets offered by Crypto.com on Robinhood’s trading platform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Since taking the helm of the tech giant, he has made big structural moves and placed large bets on technologies including quantum computing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
If making money were as easy as we make it seem when we rewrite history, then why diversify or hedge your bets?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Then she pulls herself together to say she bets that “these will be the best Games ever!”
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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
Prosecutors alleged that local media coverage had "aided and betted the overseas media's contempt".
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 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
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
"I would say this is 100% a properly organised coursing event, with competitors and competitive dogs. People watching the course - and watching and betting on that sport. It was quite terrifying."
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Instead of betting on one more mega-blockbuster, Regeneron’s research spans everything from oncology to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"In a sector undergoing an absolute and profound transformation, foreign manufacturers know that betting on the added-value supply chain in our country, in Europe, is fundamental and a priority for the Spanish government," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Some 350 authors in the Anthropic lawsuit opted out of the settlement, with some expressing objections and betting they can recover significantly more through individual litigation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Just like Ariadne. I’m betting you can see the right path. The Labyrinth won’t be able to fool you as easily.”
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
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.
