What does "bet" mean?

1. (to wager money) to risk money on a race or game because you think you know who will win. 2. (to be certain) to be very sure that something is true or will happen. 3. (a wager) an agreement to risk money on a result. 4. (an opinion or choice) the best choice or action to take in a situation.

How do you use "bet"?

The verb is often ditransitive, taking both an indirect object (the person) and a direct object (the amount). Commonly followed by a 'that' clause, though 'that' is frequently omitted in speech.

bet — meaning, definition & examples

Word

Infinitive

bet

Past

bet

Past participle

bet

01to wager money

A2 · Elementary

v. to risk money on a race or game because you think you know who will win.

v. to stake a sum of money or other value on the outcome of an unpredictable event. Often used with 'on'.

“He decided to bet ten dollars on his favorite horse in the third race.”

“Professional gamblers often bet significant sums on sporting events where they believe the bookmakers have miscalculated the true probability of the outcome.”

Usage

The verb is often ditransitive, taking both an indirect object (the person) and a direct object (the amount).

Synonyms

wager gamble stake

02to be certain

B1 · Intermediate Informal

v. to be very sure that something is true or will happen.

v. to express a high degree of certainty regarding a future event or a present fact.

“I bet it will rain later today because the sky is getting very dark.”

“Given the current economic indicators, I would bet that the central bank will raise interest rates before the end of the fiscal quarter.”

Usage

Commonly followed by a 'that' clause, though 'that' is frequently omitted in speech.

Synonyms

predict guarantee

Antonyms

doubt

03a wager

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. an agreement to risk money on a result.

n. an arrangement or stake made on the outcome of an event.

“We made a small bet on who would finish the race first.”

“The two colleagues placed a friendly bet on the election results, with the loser agreeing to pay for lunch.”

Synonyms

wager gamble

04an opinion or choice

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal

n. the best choice or action to take in a situation.

n. a person, thing, or course of action regarded as a candidate for success.

“If you want to arrive on time, the train is your best bet.”

“Analysts suggest that diversified index funds remain the safest bet for long-term investors seeking steady growth without excessive risk.”

Synonyms

option choice alternative

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “bet” in context.

Verb

01. bet heavily

“He lost a significant amount of money after he decided to bet heavily on the underdog.”

verb + adv

02. bet on the outcome

“Many people bet on the outcome of the championship game to make it more exciting.”

verb + prep + noun

03. bet that

“I bet that it will rain before the afternoon is over, given those dark clouds.”

verb + that-clause

04. safely bet

“You can safely bet that the new smartphone will be sold out within hours of its release.”

adv + verb

Preposition

05. bet against the house

“It is usually a bad financial strategy to bet against the house at a casino.”

prep + noun

“We don’t have a specific game, but it’s probably a fair bet that at least one of his teams scored at least one goal in December.”

The Guardian 19 Aug 2026

“But that bet went sour as their value has fallen by around $10,000.”

BBC News 13 Aug 2026

From 16th-century criminal slang, perhaps from Middle English bet (“something better, advantage, luck”), from Old English bet, bett (“better”, adverb); or, alternatively from abet, from Middle English abet, abette, from Old French abet (“incitement to evil”), from Old French abeter (“to entice”), from a- (“to”) + beter (“hound on, urge, to bait”); ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *baitijan (“to bait, entice”), related to Old English bǣtan (“to bait”). More at abet.