# roll of the dice

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/roll-of-the-dice
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A risky or uncertain attempt to do something, especially in an unfavourable situation.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.