- an arrangement to risk money, etc. on the result of a particular event; the money that you risk in this way
- to win/lose a bet
- I was tempted to place a large bet.
- bet on something We've got a bet on who's going to arrive first.
- He had a bet on the horses.
- They all put a bet on the race.
- I hear you're taking bets on whether she'll marry him.
- I did it for a bet (= because somebody had agreed to pay me money if I did).
- ‘Liverpool are bound to win.’ ‘Do you want a bet?’ (= I disagree with you, I don't think they will.)
Extra ExamplesTopics Moneyb2- I made a bet with a friend.
- I wish I hadn't agreed to that stupid bet.
- We are now taking bets on the election result.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- safe
- sure
- …
- have
- make
- place
- …
- bet on
- bet with
- do something for a bet
- it is my bet (that)…
- my bet is (that)…
- …
- (informal) an opinion about what is likely to happen or to have happened
- My bet is that they've been held up in traffic.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- safe
- sure
- …
- have
- make
- place
- …
- bet on
- bet with
- do something for a bet
- it is my bet (that)…
- my bet is (that)…
- …
Word Originlate 16th cent.: perhaps a shortening of the obsolete noun abet ‘abetment’.
Idioms
See bet in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionaryall bets are off
- used to say that if a particular event happens then your current prediction, agreement, etc. will no longer apply
- We expect shares to rise unless the economy slows down again, in which case all bets are off.
the/your best bet
- (informal) used to tell somebody what is the best action for them to take to get the result they want
- If you want to get around London fast, the Underground is your best bet.
a good/safe/sure bet
- something that is likely to happen, to succeed or to be suitable
- He's a good bet to earn a spot on the US team.
- Clothes are a safe bet as a present for a teenager.
- The movie looks like a sure bet for Best Film.
hedge your bets
- to reduce the risk of losing or making a mistake by supporting more than one side in a competition, an argument, etc., or by having several choices available to you
- She hedged her bets by applying for various other jobs as well.
Check pronunciation:
bet