- 1 [intransitive, transitive] to risk money on a race or an event by trying to predict the result You have to be over 16 to bet. bet on/against (somebody/something doing) something I wouldn't bet on them winning the next election. bet something (on something) He bet $2 000 on the final score of the game. bet (somebody) (something) (that…) She bet me £20 that I wouldn't do it. see also betting, gamble Wordfindergamblingbet, casino, chip, croupier, gambling, lottery, odds, roulette, stake, streak
- 2 [transitive] (informal) used to say that you are almost certain that something is true or that something will happen bet (that)… I bet (that) we’re too late. You can bet (that) the moment I sit down, the phone will ring. bet somebody (that)… I’ll bet you (that) he knows all about it. More Like This Verbs with two objects bet, bring, build, buy, cost, get, give, leave, lend, make, offer, owe, pass, pay, play, post, promise, read, refuse, sell, send, show, sing, take, teach, tell, throw, wish, writeSee worksheet. Word Originlate 16th cent.: perhaps a shortening of the obsolete noun abet ‘abetment’.Extra examples He bet $2 000 on the final score of the game. I bet we’re too late. I wouldn’t bet on them winning the next election. I’ll bet you that he knows all about it. Not many people are betting against France retaining their title. She bet me £20 that I wouldn’t do it. You can bet that the moment I sit down, the phone will ring. You have to be over 16 to bet in the UK.Idioms
- 1used to show that you can understand what somebody is feeling, describing, etc. ‘I nearly died when he told me.’ ‘I bet!’
- 2used to tell somebody that you do not believe what they have just said ‘I'm going to tell her what I think of her.’ ‘Yeah, I bet!’
verb jump to other results
BrE BrE//bet//; NAmE NAmE//bet//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they bet BrE BrE//bet//; NAmE NAmE//bet//
he / she / it bets BrE BrE//bets//; NAmE NAmE//bets//
past simple bet BrE BrE//bet//; NAmE NAmE//bet//
past participle bet BrE BrE//bet//; NAmE NAmE//bet//
-ing form betting BrE BrE//ˈbetɪŋ//; NAmE NAmE//ˈbetɪŋ//
(North American English, informal) to risk everything you have on an investment, a bet, etc. The company bet the farm on the new marketing model, only to find that it wasn’t successful.
(informal) used to say that you do not think that something is very likely ‘She'll soon get used to the idea.’ ‘I wouldn't bet on it.’ (informal) used instead of ‘yes’ to emphasize that somebody has guessed something correctly or made a good suggestion ‘Are you nervous?’ ‘You bet!’
(informal) used to say that you are certain that something will happen You can bet your bottom dollar that he'll be late.
Check pronunciation: bet
