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Glite Dictionary
dice roll

dice roll

4.7
A choice with an uncertain result that may be risky
  • noun
  • /daɪs roʊl/
translation icon : tirada de dados
  • What had caused those two Japanese carriers to sink in that game was a very lucky die roll, which anybody who plays war games knows how dice go.

They faithfully represented what happened in the die rolling game.

Examples

  • In board games, the outcome of a player's victory often hinges on a fortunate dice roll.

  • So we do expect the actual average of the die rolls to kind of even out, even if the system itself doesn't.

  • But is it, is it more than half, given that each round of the dice roll is only one in six?

  • Let's move on to part C So part C asks for the probability that at least one die roll is a six.

  • OK, everyone, prepare yourselves for two of the most extraordinary dice rolls you have ever seen on Number File.

  • The final decision in the contest came down to a risky dice roll, leaving everyone on edge.

  • Every time she played, she knew that winning was just a matter of chance and a lucky dice roll.

Synonyms

chance
vsdice roll
∞ 1.0

Possibility that something will happen, often an opportunity or risk

is applied to an uncertain action or decision rather than abstract probability
risk
vsdice roll
∞ 1.9

A chance that something bad may happen

is about an uncertain choice or action rather than just potential harm
gamble
vsdice roll
65 3.5

A risky action with an uncertain result that may depend on chance

is a general uncertain action that can be less deliberate than a risky undertaking
roll
vsdice roll
  • Jargon
54 3.6

A throw of dice in a game

is the figurative decision sense rather than the literal game action
crapshoot
vsdice roll
  • NSFW
7 9.1

A risky situation where the result depends mostly on luck

is used for uncertain actions that may be less wildly unpredictable
toss of a coin
vsdice roll
1 2.9

A way to decide between two options by flipping a coin

is any uncertain decision not limited to this single random method
a bit of a crapshoot
vsdice roll
  • Slang
1 9.5

An uncertain situation whose result depends on chance

is reserved for decisions that are more broadly uncertain or risky
throw of the dice
vsdice roll
6.5

A decision that depends mostly on chance

is the general idea for uncertain decisions not only decided by chance

Antonyms

certainty
  • Literature
202 3.4

A strong feeling that something is true or will happen

predictability
17 3.3

How much you can know about what will happen next

How Risky

long shot
  • Informal
58 4.6
dice roll
4.7
gamble
12 3.9

Surface Forms

dice roll singular
dice rolls plural

Morphology

dice + roll

The compound combines 'dice' (a chance device) with 'roll' (the act/instance of throwing), so the sense of an uncertain or unpredictable outcome is a direct and easily inferable extension of the literal meaning. This metaphorical mapping (comparing decisions to a dice throw) is common across languages and should be transparent to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

The phrase dice roll comes from board games, where players throw the dice and watch them roll to a random number, so no one knows what will come up. That's why a risky or unpredictable choice is called a dice roll, meaning a decision with a 'chance' or 'uncertain' result.