oddsodds /ɒdz $ ɑːdz/ ●●○ S3 AWL noun [plural] 
The odds are (=it is likely) that he will commit the same crime again.odds of You can narrow the odds of a nasty accident happening in your home by being more safety-conscious.odds against The odds against a plane crash are around a million to one. I’m afraid that the odds are heavily against her winning (=it is not likely). What are the odds (=how likely is it) that they will mess up? a new company that has beaten the odds and succeeded (=it was not likely to succeed, but it did)2difficulties difficulties which make a good result seem very unlikely: The hospital’s director has been battling against the odds to improve patient care. The soldiers’ job was to hold on despite impossible odds.3be at odds a)to disagreeodds with Briggs found himself at odds with his colleagues.odds over/on The two politicians were at odds over what was the truth. b)if two statements, descriptions, actions etc are at odds with each other, they are different although they should be the sameodds with Mark’s account of what happened is at odds with Dan’s. She gave him a sweet smile, totally at odds with the look of dislike in her eyes.4horse racing etc the numbers that show how much money you will win if you bet on the winner of a horse race or other competition: The odds are 6–1.odds of At odds of 10–1 he bet a hundred pounds.(at) long/short odds (=high or low numbers, that show a high or low risk of losing) Everyone was surprised when Desert Zone won the race, at very long odds.lay/offer (somebody) odds British English They are laying odds of 8–1 that the Conservatives will win the next election.5it makes no odds British English spoken used to say that what someone does or what happens is not important: Pay me now or later – it makes no odds.6pay over the odds British English informal to pay a higher price than is usual or reasonable: Most residents live in tiny apartments and pay over the odds for them too.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2adjectivesenormous/considerable/incredible odds· He survived a night in the cold water against incredible odds.great odds (=a lot of difficulties)· We must hope that, despite great odds, we can achieve a peaceful settlement.impossible/overwhelming odds (=making success seem extremely unlikely)· They face impossible odds simply trying to get an education.· They face overwhelming odds in their struggle to preserve the park.verbsbeat/overcome/defy the odds (=succeed despite great difficulties)· The baby, born sixteen weeks too early, defied the odds and is celebrating her first birthday.battle/struggle against the odds (=work hard despite great difficulties)· The Coastguard was battling against the odds to keep the oil spill from reaching the shore.phrasesagainst all odds (=despite something seeming very unlikely)· Against all odds, he recovered from his illness.the odds are stacked against somebody (=there are a lot of difficulties that may prevent someone’s success)· They may be able to build a life for themselves, but the odds are stacked against them.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Assad overcame great odds to become commander of the air force.
- If you are male, the odds are about 1 in 12 of being colourblind.
- The odds against being killed in a plane crash are very high.
- The odds in favour of a win for the Russian team are around 10 to 1.
- Against all odds, he believed in himself.
- So why not tell the bank I have a $ 2 million asset and enhance the odds of my landing that loan?
- The odds against such a coincidence are unimaginably great but they are not incalculably great.
- The odds against them were overwhelming.
- The odds of being infected from a contaminated needle are 1 in 300, Gerberding said.
- The odds, in the short term anyway, favoured them.
- We applaud this kind of person when they climb mountains, cross deserts, sail oceans and survive against incredible odds.
Longman Language Activatorto have an advantage
to have something that makes you more likely to succeed than other people: · The American team seemed to have all the advantages - better training, better facilities, and much better financial support.have an advantage over: · The winning boxer had an advantage over his opponent because he was several pounds heavier.
if someone is at an advantage , they have experience or qualities which make them more likely to succeed in doing something or more likely to do something well: · Students with a strong math background will be at an advantage next year when the statistics course starts.be at an advantage over: · Children have several advantages over adults when it comes to learning another language.distinct advantage (=definite advantage): · Mitchell's height gives him a distinct advantage over the other players.
British /the odds are stacked in somebody's favor American used to say that someone has a big advantage in a competition, election etc so that they are very likely to win: · Everyone knows that you can't win at gambling because the odds are stacked in the dealer's favour.· The odds were stacked in the Labour Party's favour, so it was a great surprise when they were not elected.
to have a big advantage over others in a particular activity, especially because you started doing it before them: have a head start on: · The British have a head start on many other countries in areas such as genetic engineering. give somebody a head start: · Sending your children to nursery school clearly gives them a head start.
to have all the qualities that are likely to make you succeed in whatever you decide to do: · She was bright and pretty and had everything going for her.· Barry had everything going for him -- charm, looks, intelligence, but still he was unemployed.
to have an advantage over others because you are young, have a lot of experience etc: · He is a strong player but his opponent will have youth on his side.· With knowledge of the company on her side, she was more likely to get the job than any of the external candidates.
to have all the advantages in a particular situation so that you can control what happens: · It seemed that he held all the cards and that there was nothing she could do but say 'yes'.
to have more power than someone, especially someone who is fighting against you or who does not agree with you, so that you are likely to defeat them: · Although the rebels control areas in the south, the government still has the upper hand. have the upper hand against: · Police finally have the upper hand against the drug dealers in the area.
to be in a position where you have an advantage over someone and are likely to win, especially in discussions to get something from them: · The government claims that as long as they have nuclear weapons, they can negotiate from a position of strength.· At the end of the war, the US was in a strong position to influence the future of Europe.
when one statement, idea etc makes a different one seem untrue if one statement or fact contradicts another one, it is so different that it makes the other one seem untrue or impossible: · The two newspaper reports totally contradict each other.· Recent experiments seem to contradict earlier results.· O'Brien's later statement contradicted what he had told Somerville police on the night of the murder.
very different from each other - use this especially when two things should be the same: · At first we received conflicting information about the number of children who were seriously hurt.· Researchers tend to offer conflicting advice on which vitamin and mineral supplements might keep us healthy.
if a statement, story, fact etc is inconsistent with what you expect or already know of the situation, it is completely different from it: · IBM said that the £37 million payment had been made in a way that was inconsistent with company policy.· Wolff, an economics professor at New York University, said that the results were inconsistent with all the other data they had.
a small fact or detail that is different from what you expected, especially one that makes you think that something is wrong: · Whenever he works out his accounts there are always discrepancies.discrepancy between: · Apparently there were discrepancies between police reports taken from the same witnesses at different times.discrepancy in: · She always refused to discuss the discrepancies in her biography.
if something goes against what you think or what someone has told you, it is different from the opinions, attitudes etc that you have learnt: · What the teacher was saying went against everything his parents had taught him.· She couldn't explain what had made her go against her upbringing and character and behave so recklessly.
if a statement, story, fact etc is at odds with another, the two things are so completely different that one of them must be untrue: · John Nelson has been re-examining the evidence, and his conclusions are greatly at odds with the story so far.· The government decision to raise taxes was at odds with their policies on inflation.
to have a disadvantage compared to other people or things · She has the same qualifications as the other candidates, but has one big disadvantage - lack of experience.· Their restaurant has the disadvantage of being located south of town, a little too far from the tourist routes.
to have a disadvantage, especially because you do not have the experience or qualities that make you more likely to succeed in doing something: · Women are still at a disadvantage when it comes to getting jobs in the military.· People with previous convictions are always at a disadvantage when on trial in a court of law.put/place somebody at a disadvantage: · The test put candidates whose first language was not English at a disadvantage.
if someone is disadvantaged , they are suffering social or economic disadvantages such as lack of money or bad education, so that they have less chance of being successful than other people: · The club runs programs for disadvantaged children in the inner city areas.the disadvantaged (=disadvantaged people): · Booth invented schemes to help the disadvantaged in the community.
to have a disadvantage that makes it very difficult for you to do something: be handicapped by something: · The Republican candidate was handicapped by his heavy schedule.· In all its ambitious plans the company has been handicapped by an outdated system of management.
use this to say that someone has a big disadvantage so that they are very unlikely to be successful: · With every big company in town trying to stop them, the odds are stacked against them.· Most people who go into casinos know the odds are stacked heavily against them, but it doesn't stop them from trying.
to give someone or something a disadvantage: · Her height could be to her disadvantage if she wants to be a dancer.· To its disadvantage, the book contains a lot of material that is difficult for the average person to understand.to the disadvantage of: · The government has reorganized the taxation system to the disadvantage of low-paid workers.
if particular conditions are against someone or something, they make it unlikely or impossible for them to succeed in doing something: · Time is against us. The longer we wait to find a solution to the crisis, the worse it will get.· He wanted to become a pilot but his bad eyesight was against him.
if something counts against you, it makes people have a worse opinion of you, and often makes people decide not to choose you, or makes them decide that you are guilty: · We believe Caroline Connely is innocent, but her silence could count against her in a court.· He was a child when he committed the crime. Should that count against him as an adult with a clean record?
to disagree strongly with someone if two people or groups are at loggerheads , they strongly disagree with each other and argue, usually about how to deal with a problem or decision: · As a result of the strike, neighbours and even families were soon at loggerheads.be at loggerheads over/about: · Congress and the President are still at loggerheads over how to balance the federal budget.
to disagree with a person, organization, or way of thinking and be opposed to them - used especially in news reports: be at odds with: · Britain and France were constantly at odds with each other throughout the negotiations.be at odds over: · The two sides are still at odds over a pay increase for airline pilots.
British to disagree strongly with someone and argue with them about it so that your good relationship with them is damaged: · Jung and Freud fell out when Jung disagreed with some of Freud's central theories.fall out with: · Maria fell out with some of her colleagues and decided to look for a new job.fall out (with somebody) over: · They fell out over some stupid little issue.
to strongly disagree with someone and to be continuously opposing them and arguing against their actions and intentions: · Rather than be in continual conflict with his boss, Bruce moved to another job.· Union leaders are again in conflict with management, this time over job losses.
having or resulting from such completely different aims or opinions that agreement is impossible: · The split in the Liberal party seems to be irreconcilable.irreconcilable differences: · When irreconcilable differences exist between two people, it is better that they should separate.irreconcilable with: · Both these ways of looking at the world are valid but utterly irreconcilable with each other.
spoken also rubbish British spoken use this when you strongly disagree with something someone has said: · "You always think you're right!" "Nonsense!"
how likely it is that something will happen: likelihood of · As you get older, the likelihood of illness increases.· Studies have shown that there is a greater likelihood of teenagers having car accidents.likelihood (that) · There is little likelihood that the number of college places will go up this year.
how likely it is that something will happen - use this especially about situations where you can calculate fairly exactly how likely something is: probability of: · The probability of catching the disease from your partner is extremely low.· We must increase our efforts to reduce the probability of such an accident happening again.probability (that): · There is a 90% probability that the hurricane will hit the coast of Florida later today.a strong probability: · There is a strong probability that the problem will recur if we do not deal with it now.
the chance that something you hope for will happen soon: prospect for: · The prospects for peace are improving.no/little prospect of (doing) something: · He had no job and no prospect of getting one.there is every prospect of something (=it is very likely): · There is every prospect of an economic recovery next year.
how likely it is that something you hope for will actually happen: chances of (doing) something: · The new treatment will increase her chances of survival.· For these men the chances of getting another job are not very high.what are the chances...?: · What are the chances of that happening twice in one month?chances are (that)... (=it is likely that): · If you eat a balanced, low-fat diet, chances are your arteries will be healthy.
how likely it is that something will happen, especially when this can be stated in numbers: odds in favour of: · The odds in favour of a win for the Russian team are around 10 to 1.odds of: · If you are male, the odds are about 1 in 12 of being colourblind.odds against: · The odds against being killed in a plane crash are very high.
WORD SETSback, verbbank, nounbanker, nounbet, verbbet, nounbid, verbbingo, nounbookie, nounbookmaker, nouncasino, nounchip, nouncroupier, noundividend, noundraw, nouneach way, adverbfruit machine, noungamble, verbgaming, nounlottery, nounodds, nounofftrack, adjectiveone-armed bandit, nounparimutuel, nounplace, verbraffle, nounraffle, verbroulette, nounslot machine, nounstakeholder, nounsweepstake, nountombola, nountout, verbwager, nounwager, verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 2adjectives As usual, the hero was facing insuperable odds. The British Air Force succeeded despite overwhelming odds against them.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· He survived a night in the cold water against incredible odds.
(=a lot of difficulties)· We must hope that, despite great odds, we can achieve a peaceful settlement.
(=making success seem extremely unlikely)· They face impossible odds simply trying to get an education.· They face overwhelming odds in their struggle to preserve the park.
verbs (=succeed despite great difficulties)· The baby, born sixteen weeks too early, defied the odds and is celebrating her first birthday.
(=work hard despite great difficulties)· The Coastguard was battling against the odds to keep the oil spill from reaching the shore.
phrases (=despite something seeming very unlikely)· Against all odds, he recovered from his illness.
(=there are a lot of difficulties that may prevent someone’s success)· They may be able to build a life for themselves, but the odds are stacked against them.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES As usual, the hero was facing insuperable odds. The British Air Force succeeded despite overwhelming odds against them.· Sometimes overcoming enormous odds, mostly because of racial prejudice, black athletes changed the sporting landscape in the United States.
· But there is always real satisfaction in a fight against great odds.· Against great odds, Truman went on to defeat Republican Thomas Dewey.· That the work of many of them is first class is without question, but it is an achievement against great odds.· Victory today complete and against great odds.· Yet here again the gamble is great and the odds on success little better than even.· Hence 60 years on the name Dunkirk still evokes images of triumph in the face of great odds.
· A horrible series of futile uprisings against impossible odds and always ending in butchery and defeat for the rebels.· They promise their soldiers a terrible struggle against almost impossible odds.· A heroic stand against impossible odds was always a possibility.· He suddenly felt he was facing impossible odds.· But along the way most activists realized the futility of trying to struggle with no funds and impossible odds.
· Highbrook will be at longer odds than she should be as a result of her defeat last time out at Newmarket.· Even with the delay, Lee now faces long odds.· Talbot would have taken long odds that he was cold sober.· Has slipped down the weights and could surprise at long odds here.· Exactly thirty years after completing their only Wembley triumph, Leigh are at long odds to go all the way in 2001.
· Of those commonly identified as potential contenders, he commands some of the shortest odds.· But they also know that time is short and the odds against them.· Newcastle were actually shorter odds than Leeds at the start of the season, which was equally ridiculous.
· He says he had a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the operation but it was better than no odds at all.· But the business is fighting back, revamping betting shops, simplifying the pools coupons and advertising better odds.
NOUN· Figure 2 shows the odds ratios over 18 months for all trials with 95% confidence limits.· Relative risks were estimated as matched odds ratios by conditional maximum likelihood methods.· The significant difference observed among men was consistent and showed rather similar odds ratios throughout the study period.· Similarly, increased odds ratios were found for different age strata.· The only other large studies with controls examined hip fractures and rheumatoid arthritis and found odds ratios of 1.5 and 2.1.· We found no difference in the values of odds ratio or association.
VERB· She had battled against all the odds to give that girl everything she could possibly want.· They were battling against the odds because they didn't appear to have the right equipment.· But she had been battling against these odds for five hours, so perhaps her judgement was a little warped.
· After beating incredible odds to prove himself a classroom genius, Steven has been cruelly snubbed by prospective employers.· But she appears to have beaten the odds and is breathing normally.· She believed she could beat the odds.· You beat those odds and you felt you deserved some relief.· You have to wonder how they manage to beat the odds and keep the species going.
· An actuary, assuming no casual connection, might calculate the odds against such a coincidence.· Lupo said oddsmakers use theoretical win percentages to calculate the odds, as they would on a sporting event.· From the calculating of odds and strategies and tactics?· Of course this could be a coincidence but we can calculate the odds against this.· The business of lending money is like gambling-the creditors calculate the odds of the money being repaid.· Now he merely appraised the situation, calculating the odds for life against death.· Within minutes it was very strong and while my partner seconded I began calculating the odds of freezing to death.
· In the event, the cyclist defied the odds and survived.· That Jaime Guerrero is alive to attend the dinner probably defies the odds.· This movie defied all the odds.· The rally has defied all odds and logic with only two, short interruptions since it began its climb in August 1982.
· A horrible series of futile uprisings against impossible odds and always ending in butchery and defeat for the rebels.
· Even with the delay, Lee now faces long odds.· He suddenly felt he was facing impossible odds.
· Unlike him I have always found the little odds and ends Sellotaped to the front cover both interesting and useful.· But too often we find ourselves at odds with each other.· Indeed, some of the individuals cited above would unquestionably find themselves at odds with certain of our conclusions.· Living at such close quarters with them, Anne found herself at odds with the princesses.
· Managers can improve the odds of a smooth relationship by screening potential partners for compatibility.· If Galileo gets safely off the pad, that will improve the odds considerably.· Frequent shopping also improves your odds of finding a bargain or an item you particularly need.· But the parent can be helpful and can set the stage for improving the odds for success.· At root, executive protection means improving your odds, taking matters into your own hands.
· But ... Yeah, sometimes I question myself why am I increasing the odds.· That, of course, would increase the odds that the gambling industry will emerge from the federal study without a scratch.
· I'd lay odds your name is Mr J Spratt.· Digges argued that the Watch was way off, as was the island, and offered to lay odds on the bet.· I'd lay odds Zermatt is one of them.
· Back at the Village he saw that Ladbroke's were offering odds of thirty to one against him.· Digges argued that the Watch was way off, as was the island, and offered to lay odds on the bet.· William Hill, a firm of bookmakers, offers odds on the most likely monarch in 2000.
· A day on Crow, then, offers little in the way of drama or danger or overcoming odds.· Sometimes overcoming enormous odds, mostly because of racial prejudice, black athletes changed the sporting landscape in the United States.
· Against overwhelming odds, I surrendered myself and watched a glut of documentaries about the military hardware.· Like his rebel ancestor, Buchanan is fighting a lost cause with prideful determination despite overwhelming odds.
· They still expected to get cheap baked beans, but would pay over the odds for high-quality fresh food.· It pays over the odds, and promotes rapidly too.· You're not paying above the odds for the car, or the insurance premium for that matter.· In the past Coleby had paid over the odds for things he wanted.· We could have guessed that Abraham would end up paying over the odds, but not as much as this.· The first, and most general, is the willingness of companies to pay over the odds when they acquire other companies.· If the hon. Gentleman believes otherwise, he is inviting electricity consumers to pay over the odds for their electricity.· But do they make us pay over the odds?
· There are laughs to be had in putting James at odds with his own Americanness, and indeed his own prototypical modernity.· While my first injury had been an occasion of oneness, the second put us at odds.· But the role has put him at odds with the United States and stirred controversy in his own country.· This attitude has put them at odds with some other groups.
· Enough like it could reduce the odds to those you observe.
· Crucially, though, you can see intuitively that totipotency and differentiation seem to be at odds with each other.· Price and the number purchased vary directly. and these real-world data seem to be at odds with the law of demand.· David disliked this trait of Harriet's, a fatalism that seemed so at odds with the rest of her.
· Just when the game appeared to be won, the odds had lengthened.· Politics, business, morality, and determination to win against the odds are popular subjects.· What accounts for the Tories' success in winning again against the odds?
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► the odds► it makes no oddsPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► the dice/odds are loaded against somebody/something
1probability the odds how likely it is that something will or will not happen: - But do they make us pay over the odds?
- If the hon. Gentleman believes otherwise, he is inviting electricity consumers to pay over the odds for their electricity.
- In the past Coleby had paid over the odds for things he wanted.
- It pays over the odds, and promotes rapidly too.
- The first, and most general, is the willingness of companies to pay over the odds when they acquire other companies.
- They still expected to get cheap baked beans, but would pay over the odds for high-quality fresh food.
- We could have guessed that Abraham would end up paying over the odds, but not as much as this.
- When a firm is mature, with a long track-record, investors are less likely to pay over the odds for it.
- Britain and France were constantly at odds with each other throughout the negotiations.
- The two sides are still at odds over a pay increase for airline pilots.
- Enduring success was at odds with all history and could not be expected.
- Her description is at odds with Tiller's.
- More often, however, navigation engineers were at odds with drainage men, especially when they were working on existing rivers.
- The Buchanan trade plank is at odds with long-standing Republican endorsements of free trade.
- The interests of scholarship and pedagogy are at odds here.
- The Piagetian / constructivist vision is that educational practice and development need not and should not be at odds.
- Their pleasure was tempered with concern that the policy change was at odds with what they requested.
- They radiated a fierce interest in their work which was at odds with their taciturn manner.
- In the event, the cyclist defied the odds and survived.
- That Jaime Guerrero is alive to attend the dinner probably defies the odds.
- Even with the delay, Lee now faces long odds.
- Exactly thirty years after completing their only Wembley triumph, Leigh are at long odds to go all the way in 2001.
- Has slipped down the weights and could surprise at long odds here.
- Highbrook will be at longer odds than she should be as a result of her defeat last time out at Newmarket.
- Talbot would have taken long odds that he was cold sober.
- He was certainly odds-on favourite for the final.
- Although confident, we know the odds are stacked against the climbers.
The odds are (=it is likely) that he will commit the same crime again.odds of You can narrow the odds of a nasty accident happening in your home by being more safety-conscious.odds against The odds against a plane crash are around a million to one. I’m afraid that the odds are heavily against her winning (=it is not likely). What are the odds (=how likely is it) that they will mess up? a new company that has beaten the odds and succeeded (=it was not likely to succeed, but it did)2difficulties difficulties which make a good result seem very unlikely: The hospital’s director has been battling against the odds to improve patient care. The soldiers’ job was to hold on despite impossible odds.3be at odds a)to disagreeodds with Briggs found himself at odds with his colleagues.odds over/on The two politicians were at odds over what was the truth. b)if two statements, descriptions, actions etc are at odds with each other, they are different although they should be the sameodds with Mark’s account of what happened is at odds with Dan’s. She gave him a sweet smile, totally at odds with the look of dislike in her eyes.4horse racing etc the numbers that show how much money you will win if you bet on the winner of a horse race or other competition: The odds are 6–1.odds of At odds of 10–1 he bet a hundred pounds.(at) long/short odds (=high or low numbers, that show a high or low risk of losing) Everyone was surprised when Desert Zone won the race, at very long odds.lay/offer (somebody) odds British English They are laying odds of 8–1 that the Conservatives will win the next election.5it makes no odds British English spoken used to say that what someone does or what happens is not important: Pay me now or later – it makes no odds.6pay over the odds British English informal to pay a higher price than is usual or reasonable: Most residents live in tiny apartments and pay over the odds for them too.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2adjectivesenormous/considerable/incredible odds· He survived a night in the cold water against incredible odds.great odds (=a lot of difficulties)· We must hope that, despite great odds, we can achieve a peaceful settlement.impossible/overwhelming odds (=making success seem extremely unlikely)· They face impossible odds simply trying to get an education.· They face overwhelming odds in their struggle to preserve the park.verbsbeat/overcome/defy the odds (=succeed despite great difficulties)· The baby, born sixteen weeks too early, defied the odds and is celebrating her first birthday.battle/struggle against the odds (=work hard despite great difficulties)· The Coastguard was battling against the odds to keep the oil spill from reaching the shore.phrasesagainst all odds (=despite something seeming very unlikely)· Against all odds, he recovered from his illness.the odds are stacked against somebody (=there are a lot of difficulties that may prevent someone’s success)· They may be able to build a life for themselves, but the odds are stacked against them.