What does "gamble" mean?

Q: What does "gamble" mean?

1. (to play for money) to play games of chance, like cards or races, for money. 2. (to take a risk) to take a risk with a decision because you hope for a good result. 3. (a risky action) an action or decision that is risky but could have a big reward.

gamble — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01to play for money

B1 · Intermediate

v. to play games of chance, like cards or races, for money.

v. to play games of chance for money; often used intransitively to describe a habit or addiction.

“He lost a lot of money because he used to gamble on horse races every weekend.”

“The state government recently introduced stricter regulations to prevent citizens from being able to gamble away their savings at local casinos.”

Synonyms

bet wager

02to take a risk

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to take a risk with a decision because you hope for a good result.

v. to take a risk in the hope of a favourable outcome; often used with the preposition 'on'.

“The company decided to gamble on a new product that no one had tried before.”

“The young entrepreneur was willing to gamble his entire inheritance on the belief that the market was ready for sustainable packaging solutions.”

Synonyms

risk venture chance

Antonyms

play it safe

03a risky action

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. an action or decision that is risky but could have a big reward.

n. a risky act or venture undertaken with the hope of success.

“Buying the old house was a gamble, but it is worth much more now.”

“The merger was a massive gamble for the airline, as failure would have resulted in immediate bankruptcy during a period of economic instability.”

Synonyms

risk bet speculation

Antonyms

certainty sure thing

VERB

gamble(B1)

NOUN

gambler(B1)

gambling(C1)