bet
verb [ I or T ]
uk/bet/ uspast tense and past participle betto risk money on something that may happen in the future:
bet (sth) on sth In his opinion, no fee can compensate for the risk of betting a large chunk of a firm's capital on a single deal.
bet that Some investors are betting that interest rates will rise.
bet against sth You wouldn't want to bet against inflation rising later in the year.
bet the farm/ranch US informal
to risk a lot of money on something that may happen in the future:
I hope we attract lots of customers because we've bet the ranch on this place.
I bet (that) informal (also I'll bet (that))
used to say that you feel certain that something is true or will happen:
If the salary was high enough, I bet she'd take the job.
I'll bet that only about 25% of those bottles are recycled.
bet
noun [ C ]
uk/bet/ usan act of risking money on something that may happen in the future:
make a bet on sth A lot of people made a bet on housing and lost.
a bet pays off He borrowed heavily to start the business, and the bet has paid off.
a guess or opinion:
Jenson's bet is that properties will remain scarce and rents will keep rising.
See also
spread bet
a fair/good/safe bet
something that is likely to happen or have a good result in the future:
The bank says this account is a safe bet and a good alternative to investing in shares.
sb's best bet
the decision or choice that someone can make that is likely to have the best result:
Your best bet would be to sell the shares.