Ever heard someone say “I bet!” and wondered what it means? In this blog, we’ll explore common English idioms that use the word “bet.” An idiom is a phrase where the words together have a meaning different from the dictionary definitions of individual words.
This makes them fun but sometimes hard to understand, especially for kids. Here, we’ll make it easy by explaining and giving examples of these idioms.
Bet Idioms
Here are 20 bet idioms in English with meaning and example sentence for each.
You bet!
Meaning: Certainly, definitely
Example: “Can you help me?” “You bet!”
Bet your bottom dollar
Meaning: Be very sure
Example: “I bet my bottom dollar he’ll win.”
Safe bet
Meaning: A certain choice
Example: “It’s a safe bet to choose pizza for dinner.”
I bet
Meaning: I am sure
Example: “I bet you were scared during that movie.”
Bet the farm
Meaning: Risk everything
Example: “He bet the farm on that business.”
That’s a bet
Meaning: Agreement to a challenge
Example: “You think you can win? That’s a bet!”
All bets are off
Meaning: Anything can happen
Example: “Now that it’s raining, all bets are off.”
Hedge your bets
Meaning: Reduce risk
Example: “Investing in multiple stocks hedges your bets.”
Bad bet
Meaning: A poor choice
Example: “Skipping your homework is a bad bet.”
Bet against
Meaning: Expect failure
Example: “He bet against the underdog team.”
Off the bets
Meaning: Stop betting
Example: “Let’s call it a night and off the bets.”
Long shot bet
Meaning: Unlikely to win
Example: “It was a long shot bet, but I tried.”
Bet one’s boots
Meaning: Be very confident
Example: “I’d bet my boots you’ll ace the test.”
Don’t bet on it
Meaning: Doubtful
Example: “Will it stop raining? Don’t bet on it.”
Take the bet
Meaning: Accept the challenge
Example: “He decided to take the bet and run the marathon.”
Bet in favor
Meaning: Support or back up
Example: “I bet in favor of innovative solutions.”
Bet out of turn
Meaning: Act out of sequence
Example: “She bet out of turn during the game.”
Lay a bet
Meaning: Make a wager
Example: “He laid a bet on the grey horse.”
Match the bet
Meaning: Equal the wager
Example: “I’ll match the bet and raise twenty.”
Cover the bet
Meaning: Ensure the wager is met
Example: “He covered the bet by borrowing some money.”
