gamble

1 of 2

verb

gam·​ble ˈgam-bəl How to pronounce gamble (audio)
gambled; gambling ˈgam-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce gamble (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to play a game for money or property
b
: to bet on an uncertain outcome
2
: to stake something on a contingency (see contingency sense 1) : take a chance

transitive verb

1
: to risk by gambling : wager
2
gambler noun

gamble

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: an act having an element of risk
b
: something chancy
2
: the playing of a game of chance for stakes

Examples of gamble in a Sentence

Verb He's been drinking and gambling heavily. He would often gamble hundreds of dollars on a hand of poker. The mayor is gambling with the city's future. people who lost money gambling in the stock market The mayor is gambling that the new policies will help rather than hurt the city. Noun Starting her own business was a gamble, but it paid off. She thought about starting her own business, but she decided it was too much of a gamble.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
At the end of the day, don’t forget to play for fun and gamble responsibly! Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 But both filmmakers took their source material in bold, utterly surprising directions, gambling that audiences would connect with their deeply personal and often idiosyncratic visions. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 Want to gamble on the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets or Carolina Hurricanes? Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024 Bazley is the exact archetype of player whom the Sixers should be gambling on with their end-of-the-bench spots. Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Upping the Ante An incomplete collection of some of the straight-up weirdest gambles in history By Teddy Brokaw Dice Hard Roman Emperor Nero gambled extravagantly during his first-century A.D. reign, often in games with four dice. Chris Carra, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 Have fun with your Ignition bonuses, and remember to gamble responsibly! Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 Critics pounced on him for gambling on the lives of people who make crossings of the English Channel in small boats. Stephen Castle, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024
Noun
Meanwhile, investing in individual songs is also a gamble since tastes change. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 The data so far indicates that Oscar gambles are handled much like sports bets — very close to the event. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 The team’s success in F1 has, in the company’s own words, made its marketing gamble pay off. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 The failure to adequately invest in strengthening our workforces against these threats is a short-sighted gamble with potentially catastrophic consequences. James Hadley, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 That could remove the two-thirds requirement for the San Diego flood protection parcel tax, but moving forward could be a gamble with that unknown. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 The 49ers are to draft at No. 31 overall, which would be their first pick in the first round since their 2021 gamble on Trey Lance. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024 But much of the talk is focused on Campbell’s gambles. Rob Maaddi, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024 The two are known to have fallen out and his firing marked a political gamble for Zelensky. Sophie Tanno, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gamble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably back-formation from gambler, perhaps alteration (by dissimilation, or substitution of the frequentative suffix -le) of early Modern English gamner "player in a game," from gamen "to play" (going back to Middle English gamenen, going back to Old English gamenian, derivative of gamen game entry 1) + -er -er entry 2

Noun

noun derivative of gamble entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1757, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gamble was in 1757

Dictionary Entries Near gamble

Cite this Entry

“Gamble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamble. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gamble

1 of 2 verb
gam·​ble ˈgam-bəl How to pronounce gamble (audio)
gambled; gambling -b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce gamble (audio)
1
a
: to play a game for money or property
b
: to bet on an uncertain outcome
2
: to bet something on the chance of gain : take a chance
we gambled on not being seen
3
gambler noun

gamble

2 of 2 noun
1
: a risky undertaking
2
: a betting on a game of chance

Legal Definition

gamble

verb
gam·​ble ˈgam-bəl How to pronounce gamble (audio)
gambled; gambling

intransitive verb

: to risk something of value for the chance of winning a prize

transitive verb

: to risk (something) for the chance of winning a prize
gambler noun

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