to be a gamble
7
5.4
- idiom
:
ser un riesgo
- Starting a business in a competitive market is a gamble that could lead to either great success or failure.
- was a gamble that paid
- know, it's a gamble
- admit it's a gamble
You know, it was a gamble, but I think probably the their best chance, they took that gamble.
- You know, it was a gamble, but I think probably the their best chance, they took that gamble.
Examples
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It's a gamble, but it's a gamble the serious film lover must take.
Blog text (30) -
As for success—well, it's a gamble, but at least I'm rolling the dice.
Blog text (22) -
I know it's a gamble.
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Your vote, whether for local or national office, is a gamble for the future.
Blog text (27) -
Every load was a gamble against time and temperature.
Blog text (2) -
Buying a futures contract, whether you are an actual oil seller or not, is a gamble.
Blog text (6) -
Much of life is a gamble, Ollie.
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What I didn't realize, though, were two basic facts: releasing a book is a gamble, and success needs to be immediate.
Blog text (22) -
Investing in new technology can be a gamble, as there is no guarantee of success.
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Choosing to move to a new city without a job lined up is often seen as a gamble.
Synonyms
7
4.2
To do something risky hoping to get a good result
2
3.0
To do something that might lead to harm or loss
Antonyms
How Risky
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to involve a risk or uncertainty' is directly and compositionally derived from combining the copula 'be' with the noun 'gamble' (a risky action); the article 'a' does not obscure this. This predicate structure is cross-linguistically common (e.g., Spanish 'ser una apuesta', French 'être un pari'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily infer the idiomatic meaning.
Etymology
Be a gamble comes from the idea of gambling: when you gamble you place a bet and do not know if you will win or lose. So saying something 'is a gamble' paints the picture of taking a risky bet and means it involves 'risk' or 'uncertainty'.