Bet meaning in English
Learn how to use Bet correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
to bet: to chance, to risk money on; to be certain, convinced, sure
I bet he'll get hired. His resumé is very impressive.
This is an irregular verb:
I bet / I bet / I have bet
a bet: money placed on a certain result (for example a horse race)
(-Can you do me a favor?) -You bet!: (-Can you do me a favor?) -Of course! No problem! Sure!
Pronunciation examples
UK: I bet I'll get hired.
US: I bet two hundred dollars on a horse called Flip Flop.
Examples
- "Philip : You bet they don't, Quincy, but this one did!"
- "I bet I earn 5 times as much as you, anyway!"
- "On the other hand, that factory he was talking about seems like a surefire bet."
- "A big-shot like you, with your overpriced shoes, I bet you don't have any money."
- "Moira : So I bet there are a lot of people in the crowd supporting the home team then?"
- "Hannah : I bet you didn't."
- "I bet it's cold over there."
- "I bet they want me to join the bureau to protect the country."
- "I bet you are."
- "Harold : You bet!"
- "Philip : I bet she's real wild in bed... with such an unhealthy obsession for security, I'm sure she's got all kinds of fun toys."
Exercise 1
In the phrase, "I bet she's real wild in bed", what is the meaning of the word "bet"?
In the phrase, "I bet she's real wild in bed", what is the meaning of the word "bet"?
Excerpt: Philip: I bet she's real wild in bed.
"To hear" is not a synonym of "to bet".
"To highly doubt" is not a synonym of "to bet". The two verbs express opposite meanings.
"To know" is not a synonym of "to bet".
"I bet" means "I strongly believe" or "I would be willing to wager money on this". The expression "I bet" indicates strong belief or conviction.
Excerpt: Philip: I bet she's real wild in bed.
Exercise 2
What is another way of saying "You must be European"?
What is another way of saying "You must be European"?
"You ought to" is not synonymous with "must". "Ought to" has a similar meaning to "should" and is used to give advice. Example: You OUGHT TO eat more fruit = You SHOULD eat more fruit. Consequently, "you ought to be European" sounds as if Luna is advising Jean to be European, which doesn't really make sense here!
This is the best choice here. The construction, "You must be (a doctor)" is a way of expressing near certainty that somebody is a doctor. For example: "You know so much about Greek history, you must be a Greek historian". "I bet you are" is used in the same way: "I bet you're a Greek historian". The two phrases are synonymous in this context.
"You should" is not synonymous with "must". "Must" is used to express quasi-certitude or obligation. It cannot be replaced by "you should be" in this context.
"To wish" is not synonymous with "must". "Must" is used to express quasi-certitude or obligation. It cannot be replaced by "I wish" in this context.
Exercise 3
Lawrence asks Icarus, "How dare you question my authority?"
Choose the correct uses of "dare" from the sentences below.
Be careful, there may be more than one correct choice!
Choose the correct uses of "dare" from the sentences below.
Be careful, there may be more than one correct choice!
Lawrence asks Icarus, "How dare you question my authority?"
Choose the correct uses of "dare" from the sentences below.
Be careful, there may be more than one correct choice!
Choose the correct uses of "dare" from the sentences below.
Be careful, there may be more than one correct choice!
"Dare" can be used as an auxiliary verb to express "challenge" or "defiance" We can add negation to the term in order to express the idea of "not having the courage to do something". Note that several possibilities exist for adding negation to the term: We dare not, we daren't (old-fashioned), We don't dare. When Lawrence asks Icarus "How dare you question my authority?", he is expressing his surprise (and anger) that Icarus would challenge the truth of his words.
Although "to dare" does express the sense of "risk", the most appropriate term here would be "to bet", which means "to wager" or "to risk". The term "dare" cannot be used here.
"How dare you...?" is a common expression of surprise and anger in both British and American English. In this context, "to dare" is to "issue a challenge" or to "defy someone to do something" (usually something which is dangerous or requires a lot of courage). When Lawrence asks Icarus "How dare you question my authority?", he is expressing his surprise and anger that Icarus would challenge the truth of his words.
"Daring" shouldn't be confused with "dating". The two terms have nothing in common.
Exercise 4
The man on the subway tells Kevin "I bet you don't have any money".
From the list below, choose the statements which use the verb "to bet" correctly.
There may be more than one correct answer! Choose all that apply.
From the list below, choose the statements which use the verb "to bet" correctly.
There may be more than one correct answer! Choose all that apply.
The man on the subway tells Kevin "I bet you don't have any money".
From the list below, choose the statements which use the verb "to bet" correctly.
There may be more than one correct answer! Choose all that apply.
From the list below, choose the statements which use the verb "to bet" correctly.
There may be more than one correct answer! Choose all that apply.
Although "to bet" can mean "to believe strongly", the two terms are not exactly synonymous. "To bet" means to have great confidence in something, but we cannot substitute this word for "believe". We could say "I bet he lied to me", which means "I am sure that he lied to me".
The verb "to bet" means "to wager" or "to risk money upon something". It is a form of gambling. Betting on horses is a common practice in which one guesses which horse will win a race, and if that horse wins, the "bettor" is awarded money in proportion of how much money they gambled as well as the odds (or the probability) that the horse would win the race.
The verb "to bet" cannot be used in this way. It is true that "to bet" can be used to express strong belief or confidence in something, however the term cannot be replaced by "believe" in some contexts. Unless Gandhi "wagered" or "gambled" on "non-violent" methods, we can't use "to bet" in this sentence.
The verb "to bet" in this context means "to believe strongly" or "to be sure". We can use "to bet" in expressions which indicate strong belief or conviction. In this case, the speaker is expressing their confidence or conviction in Bruno's ability to negotiate.
Exercise 5
Let's play the "3 little letter" game!
Fill in the blanks below with terms used in the broadcast you just heard
Here's a hint: each of these words has only 3 letters. Good luck!
You can skate on it. You can make sculptures from it. You can eat it in many flavours. "Could I have some in my whiskey, please? It's too warm."
This word describes a useful piece of information or a hint, or a little bit of money given to a server or bartender for their efforts. "I got a from someone who says that this is the best restaurant in Chicago."
This verb describes gambling or wagering. It is very often used idiomatically to express one's certainty or confidence. "I Pilary Plinton will win the next presidential election in the United States. I am absolutely sure of it."
Fill in the blanks below with terms used in the broadcast you just heard
Here's a hint: each of these words has only 3 letters. Good luck!
You can skate on it. You can make sculptures from it. You can eat it in many flavours. "Could I have some in my whiskey, please? It's too warm."
This word describes a useful piece of information or a hint, or a little bit of money given to a server or bartender for their efforts. "I got a from someone who says that this is the best restaurant in Chicago."
This verb describes gambling or wagering. It is very often used idiomatically to express one's certainty or confidence. "I Pilary Plinton will win the next presidential election in the United States. I am absolutely sure of it."
Let's play the "3 little letter" game!
Fill in the blanks below with terms used in the broadcast you just heard
Here's a hint: each of these words has only 3 letters. Good luck!
You can skate on it. You can make sculptures from it. You can eat it in many flavours. "Could I have some ice 1 in my whiskey, please? It's too warm."
This word describes a useful piece of information or a hint, or a little bit of money given to a server or bartender for their efforts. "I got a tip 2 from someone who says that this is the best restaurant in Chicago."
This verb describes gambling or wagering. It is very often used idiomatically to express one's certainty or confidence. "I bet 3 Pilary Plinton will win the next presidential election in the United States. I am absolutely sure of it."
Fill in the blanks below with terms used in the broadcast you just heard
Here's a hint: each of these words has only 3 letters. Good luck!
You can skate on it. You can make sculptures from it. You can eat it in many flavours. "Could I have some ice 1 in my whiskey, please? It's too warm."
This word describes a useful piece of information or a hint, or a little bit of money given to a server or bartender for their efforts. "I got a tip 2 from someone who says that this is the best restaurant in Chicago."
This verb describes gambling or wagering. It is very often used idiomatically to express one's certainty or confidence. "I bet 3 Pilary Plinton will win the next presidential election in the United States. I am absolutely sure of it."
1 ice: "Ice" is a fabulous natural substance. You can have hours of fun skating on it, you can eat it in many different flavours and you can even make beautiful sculptures out of it. Candy says that she has been looking for a lake but all she can see is a "plain of snow and ice". She doesn't realise that lakes freeze in winter and turn to ice.
2 tip: A useful piece of information or a hint is called a "tip". It is also a small amount of money given to waiters and or servers for their service. Example: When I eat in restaurants, I never tip. In this broadcast, Candy thanks Brent for the "tip", referring to the little lesson he gives her ("in winter, water freezes and turns to ice").
3 bet: The verb "to bet" has a few meanings in English. The primary sense of the verb describes the act of wagering or gambling money on something such as a horse race or football match. Example: Horatio often goes to the track to bet on dog racing. "To bet" is also frequently used idiomatically to indicate the speaker's confidence or certainty in something. Example: I bet he will pass his test. This is the way that the verb is used in the broadcast. Brent imagines that it is cold in Siberia, saying "I bet it's cold over there".
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