roll of the dice
A risky or uncertain attempt to do something, especially in an unfavourable situation.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Starting this new business feels like a roll of the dice.”
“Investing all your savings in a single stock is just a roll of the dice.”
“The decision to enter the foreign market was a desperate roll of the dice, yet the company hoped it would secure their future.”
From the gambling practice of rolling dice to determine a random outcome. The idiom draws a comparison to the physical action of the verb roll the dice.
- 01
call roll
To make a roll call; to take attendance.
- 02
dice roll
Something unpredictable or unexpected.
- 03
heads will roll
Some people will be fired for incompetence.
- 04
no dice
An unacceptable alternative.
- 05
rats and mice
[Cockney slang]dice
- 06
ready to roll
Of a person, machine, vehicle, or plan, fully prepared to begin functioning and operating.
- 07
roll back the years
To produce a sense of nostalgia.
- 08
roll in the aisles
To laugh uproariously.
Last updated August 10, 2026