Definitions

gamble

[gam-buhl] / ˈgæm bəl /

NOUN

chance, speculation

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bet long shot venture wager

STRONG

action fling leap lottery raffle risk spec stab uncertainty

WEAK

outside chance shot in the dark throw of the dice toss up

Antonyms

STRONG

certainty sureness

WEAK

design guard insurance plan protection safeguard

VERB

take a chance on winning

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bet speculate wager

STRONG

back brave challenge dare defy endanger face game hazard imperil jeopardize lot play plunge put risk set stake venture

WEAK

buck the odds cast lots cut the cards flip the coin go for broke lay money on make a bet put faith in put trust in shoot the moon shoot the works stick one's neck out take a flyer tempt fortune trust to luck try one's luck

Antonyms

STRONG

ascend discourage displace dissuade hide remove rise save

WEAK

be careful design ensure guard insure plan safeguard

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Tudor was a left-field gamble that went wrong from the start.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

"We took a really big gamble," said Brenner, now a postdoc at Yale.

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

Not only does the Ellisons’ gamble look less sturdy, but so do their sources of backup.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

“We thought it was a gamble for us to take the guys that we did,” said Michigan coach Dusty May.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

By April 2006 Lippmann’s superiors at Deutsche Bank were asking him to defend his quixotic gamble.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis