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Glite Dictionary
to bet the house

to bet the house

1 8.5
To risk everything you own on one decision
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : apostar la casa
  • But this was a program I had long since given up on, though when I first saw it 15 years ago, I would have bet the house on it.

I'm going to go, well, I, I'm not going to bet the house on you.

Examples

  • Don't bet the house on a robust revival of the U.S. property market, says the Yale University professor who predicted the bursting of the dot-com and subprime-mortgage bubbles.

    Blog text (27)

  • He decided to bet the house on his team's victory in the championship.

  • You can bet the house on it.

    Dragnet (1987)

  • Old Fred used to like to bet the house in Vegas.

    National Champions (2021)

  • I'd bet the house on it.

    Spider's Web (2002)

  • But I wouldn't bet the house on it.

    Blog text (26)

  • Personally, I wouldn't bet the house on any temperature record being accurate enough to base policy on.

    Blog text (31)

  • I wouldn't exactly bet the house on any newcomer winning this one.

    Rad (1986)

  • I would never bet the house on a gamble that uncertain.

  • After careful consideration, she felt ready to bet the house on her business idea.

Synonyms

to take a chance
vsto bet the house
91 3.3

To do something risky hoping for a good result

implies risking everything owned instead of a simple risky attempt
to gamble
vsto bet the house
64 4.0

To take a risk hoping for a good result

involves risking everything rather than taking a general uncertain risk
to stake
vsto bet the house
56 5.3

To risk money or something valuable on the result of an event

involves risking everything owned rather than a single chosen asset
to wager
vsto bet the house
20 4.4

To risk money on the result of a game or event

puts all belongings at risk rather than risking only part
to take a gamble
vsto bet the house
7 4.2

To do something risky hoping to get a good result

means risking all possessions rather than just trying a risky action
to bet the ranch
vsto bet the house
  • Informal
1 8.2

To risk everything you have on one choice

is the same idea but expressed with a different property image
to take a flyer
vsto bet the house
  • Informal
1 8.5

To try something risky when the result is not certain

involves risking all belongings rather than making a tentative risky try
to stake my bottom dollar
vsto bet the house
  • Informal
9.7

To risk all your money because you are sure something will happen

is the same idea but expressed with another idiomatic phrase

Antonyms

to save
∞ 1.0

Keep something for use later

to conserve
63 3.4

Protect something from harm or waste by using it carefully

How Risky

to bet the house
  • Informal
1 8.5
to gamble
64 4.0

Surface Forms

bet the house infinitive
bet the house past
bet the house past participle
betting the house present participle
bets the house third person singular

Morphology

bet + the + house

The meaning is related to the literal constituents—'bet' (to wager) and 'house' (a major asset)—so a learner can partly infer that something valuable is being risked. However, the phrase requires a metaphorical extension (house = all/major possessions) and can be confused with 'the house' meaning the gambling operator, so the full idiomatic sense ('risk everything you own') is not fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

Bet the house may come from old gambling, where someone would literally bet their house by putting the deed or keys on the table to show they were risking everything. That's why it now means 'to risk everything you own' on one decision.