gamble
verb /ˈɡæmbl/
/ˈɡæmbl/
Verb Forms
Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they gamble | /ˈɡæmbl/ /ˈɡæmbl/ |
| he / she / it gambles | /ˈɡæmblz/ /ˈɡæmblz/ |
| past simple gambled | /ˈɡæmbld/ /ˈɡæmbld/ |
| past participle gambled | /ˈɡæmbld/ /ˈɡæmbld/ |
| -ing form gambling | /ˈɡæmblɪŋ/ /ˈɡæmblɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to risk money on a card game, horse race, etc.
- gamble (at/on something) to gamble at cards
- to gamble on the horses
- gamble something (at/on something) I gambled all my winnings on the last race.
Extra ExamplesTopics Moneyc1, Sports: other sportsc1- She became depressed and began to gamble heavily.
- He doesn't drink or gamble any more.
- [transitive, intransitive] to risk losing something in the hope of being successful
- gamble something (on something) He's gambling his reputation on this deal.
- gamble with/on something It was wrong to gamble with our children's future.
- gamble that She gambled that he wouldn't read it before she reached the airport.
Word Originearly 18th cent.: from obsolete gamel ‘play games’, or from the verb game.