you bet
29
7.0
- idiom
- Informal
- When the disaster tourists started coming downtown and looking for directions to the big smoldering hole, you bet I told them where to find it, with lots of gestures and audio cues.
- Oh, you bet
- Yeah, you bet
- You bet your ass
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Watch on YouTubeAnd then when it was time to be fully present, you bet your life I was.
- And then when it was time to be fully present, you bet your life I was.
Examples
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You bet I'll be at the meeting tomorrow; I wouldn't miss it for anything.
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It does make a certain amount of sense too; you bet there will be pretty strong corporate backing.
Blog text (7) -
Yeah, you bet, next week.
-
With all the necessary tools, you bet.
Fiction book (1992) -
Prayer is powerful, you bet!
Blog text (2) -
As to taking Trek seriously, you bet I do.
Blog text (8) -
"Oh, you bet!" he said with a grin.
Fiction book (1992) -
When the commerce site goes live, you bet there will be a mailing.
Blog text (19) -
The rich get richer, you bet, because they leave the emotions at the bank and focus on the overall picture.
Blog text (34) -
"You bet it's a problem!" He turns to the other white coats and yells.
Blog text (9)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Showing that something is true or will happen without any doubt
∞
1.0
To say certainly or definitely
250
8.6
Shows that you agree strongly with what someone says
77
7.6
A strong way to agree with what someone says
9
9.9
A friendly way to say you are sure or you agree
2
9.9
Adds strong agreement or extra emphasis to a statement, especially in old writing
A short reply that shows you agree or will do it
Antonyms
How Certain
Surface Forms
Morphology
you + bet
The emphatic meaning 'of course' can be linked to the verb 'bet' (to be confident that something will happen), so a learner who knows 'bet' in that sense could plausibly infer that 'you bet' signals certainty or strong agreement. However, it is an elliptical, conversational interjection and not a literal wager construction, so the exact pragmatic use and form are somewhat idiomatic and may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure.
Etymology
You bet comes from old gambling talk. If you place a bet, you show you are sure something will happen, so saying you bet means 'certainly' or 'I agree'.