throw of the dice
- noun
:
tirada de dados
- Choosing the right investment in a volatile market is often a throw of the dice, with no guarantees of profit.
Examples
-
That's one throw... of the dice.
-
So it is a great throw of the dice.
-
Nelson was explaining the very thoroughly thought-out reason why search parties could be formed only on even throws of the dice.
Fiction book (1991) -
He is a crapshooter covering a lifetime of losses with one throw of the dice.
Fiction book (1991) -
Starting a new business can feel like a throw of the dice since success depends on many unpredictable factors.
-
Deciding to move to a new city without a job lined up is a significant throw of the dice, relying heavily on chance.
Synonyms
∞
1.9
A chance that something bad may happen
65
3.5
A risky action with an uncertain result that may depend on chance
54
3.6
A throw of dice in a game
20
6.2
A situation where two results have the same chance
7
9.1
A risky situation where the result depends mostly on luck
3
4.8
A result that depends only on chance, like drawing names from a hat
1
2.9
A way to decide between two options by flipping a coin
1
9.5
An uncertain situation whose result depends on chance
A choice with an uncertain result that may be risky
Antonyms
How Risky
Surface Forms
Morphology
The metaphor maps directly from the literal action of throwing/rolling dice (whose outcome is determined by chance) to decisions or actions that depend on luck; a learner who knows 'throw' and 'dice' can readily infer this sense. This is a conventional and cross-linguistically common analogy, so the meaning is compositional and immediately accessible to B1 learners.
Etymology
Throw of the dice comes from the simple picture of rolling dice in a game: one quick throw of the dice can decide the result by 'chance'. So it is used for a decision or action that involves 'chance' or 'risk'.