odds are good
2
3.7
- idiom
- Informal
:
es probable
- And odds are good that, raised that way, they'll end up being the cool kids that other kids emulate, not pick on.
Once he's achieved that which he wants, the odds are good that he'll want still more.
- Once he's achieved that which he wants, the odds are good that he'll want still more.
- Once he's achieved that which he wants, the odds are good that he wants to do more, for that's the way of people, and that's good. That's a healthy sign.
Examples
-
You bet on something you wish you had 10,000 to bet on, something where the odds are good.
-
At the end of the month, odds are good that Obama will be where he was at the beginning of the month—ahead.
Blog text (4) -
If she was Scottish, the odds were good that religious issues would not be a problem between them.
Fiction book (1992) -
The odds are good that the Court will throw out the case, the interesting question being what ground the Court will choose.
Blog text (22) -
Although Soviet aid has not yet decreased, the odds are good that it will be cut significantly in the coming years.
Academic text (1990) -
Once he's achieved that which he wants, the odds are good that he'll want still more.
-
And since the boat was docked at his home, the odds were good that she would see Seth again, too.
Fiction book (1999) -
The odds are good that U.S. partners will agree to such codicils if the matter is handled quietly.
Academic text (1998) -
Thanks to the brilliance of the recent political restructuring, the odds are good that Indonesia's transformation will proceed smoothly.
Academic text (2004) -
If the team trains hard, the odds are good that they will win the championship.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
People expect it to happen or be true
200
3.4
Likely to happen or be true but not certain
81
3.2
It is likely that something will happen
24
3.2
Very likely to happen or be true
8
3.8
Very likely to happen or be true
How Likely
946
1.0
- Informal
2
3.7
∞
1.0
∞
1.0
487
1.9
10
3.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'it is likely' is directly and compositionally derived from 'odds' (likelihood) combined with the copula 'are' and 'good' (favorable), so the phrase literally says the chances are favorable. This is a common predicative pattern found across languages and in English, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Odds are good comes from betting. In betting, odds are the numbers that show who is more likely to win, so if the odds favor you you have a better chance. So odds are good means 'it is likely'.