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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

gamble.

A bet or wager.

6 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/ˈɡæm.bəl/UK, US

  1. A bet or wager.

    I had a gamble on the horses last weekend.

  2. A significant risk, undertaken with a potential gain.

  3. A risky venture.

    The sailors had taken many gambles with the sea and always won.
Where this word comes from

From earlier gamel, from Middle English *gamlen, *gamelen, variant of Middle English gamenen, from Old English gæmnian, gamnian, gamenian (“to joke; play”), related to Old English gamen (“joy; mirth; pleasure; entertainment; pastime; sport; game”), equivalent to game + -le. Compare Old Danish gammel, Middle High German gamel (“pleasure; fun”). More at game.

verb/ˈɡæm.bəl/UK, US

  1. To take a risk, with the potential of a positive outcome.

  2. To play risky games, especially casino games, for monetary gain.

    Mark won half a million dollars gambling on horses.

  3. To risk (something) for potential gain.

    transitive
    He gambled his reputation on the outcome.

  4. To interact with equipment at a casino.

Where this word comes from

From earlier gamel, from Middle English *gamlen, *gamelen, variant of Middle English gamenen, from Old English gæmnian, gamnian, gamenian (“to joke; play”), related to Old English gamen (“joy; mirth; pleasure; entertainment; pastime; sport; game”), equivalent to game + -le. Compare Old Danish gammel, Middle High German gamel (“pleasure; fun”). More at game.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.