bet
- 01 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'.
Simple“He decided to bet ten dollars on his favorite horse in the third race.”
In context“Professional gamblers often bet significant sums on sporting events where they believe the bookmakers have miscalculated the true probability of the outcome.”
UsageThe verb is often ditransitive, taking both an indirect object (the person) and a direct object (the amount).
- 02 B1 Intermediate
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.
Simple“I bet it will rain later today because the sky is getting very dark.”
In context“Given the current economic indicators, I would bet that the central bank will raise interest rates before the end of the fiscal quarter.”
UsageCommonly followed by a 'that' clause, though 'that' is frequently omitted in speech.
- 03 A2 Elementary
n.an agreement to risk money on a result.
n.an arrangement or stake made on the outcome of an event.
Simple“We made a small bet on who would finish the race first.”
In context“The two colleagues placed a friendly bet on the election results, with the loser agreeing to pay for lunch.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“If you want to arrive on time, the train is your best bet.”
In context“Analysts suggest that diversified index funds remain the safest bet for long-term investors seeking steady growth without excessive risk.”
Synonyms
“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.”
“But that bet went sour as their value has fallen by around $10,000.”
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.
From Hebrew בית (bēt).
Abbreviation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.