Standard Lemma guide

gambling

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɡæm.bl̩.ɪŋ/
  • /ˈɡæm.blɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æmblɪŋ
  • CMU ARPABET: G AE1 M B AH0 L IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: G AE1 M B L IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An activity characterized by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance, usually with money wagered on the outcome.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • He lost a fortune through gambling at casinos.
  • Online gambling has become a global industry.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

present participle and gerund of gamble

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his gambling cost him a fortune
  • there was heavy play at the blackjack table

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gaming, play

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: diversion, recreation, vice

Narrower terms: sporting life, bet, wager, game of chance, gambling game, throw

History

Etymology

By surface analysis, gamble + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

113 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: bixhoz — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Albanian: kumar — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Arabic: قِمَار (qimār) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Arabic: مُقَامَرَة (muqāmara) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Arabic: مَيْسِر (maysir) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Arabic: قُمار (gumār) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Armenian: մոլախաղ (molaxaġ) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Azerbaijani: qumar — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Belarusian: аза́ртная гульня́ (azártnaja hulʹnjá) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Bengali: জুয়া (juẏa) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Betawi: judi — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Bulgarian: хаза́рт (hazárt) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Bulgarian: кома́р (komár) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Burmese: အကစား (a.ka.ca:) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Burmese: အလောင်းအစား (a.laung:a.ca:) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 賭博 /赌博 (dǔbó) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Czech: hazardní hra — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Danish: hasard — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Danish: hasardspil — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Dutch: kansspel — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Dutch: gokspel — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Dutch: hazardspel — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Estonian: mängurlus — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Estonian: hasartmäng — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Finnish: uhkapeli — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Finnish: rahapeli — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • French: jeux de hasard — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • French: pari — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Georgian: აზარტული თამაში (azarṭuli tamaši) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • German: Glücksspiel — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • German: Hasardspiel — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Greek: χαρτοπαιξία (chartopaixía) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Greek: τζόγος (tzógos) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Greek: κουμάρι (koumári) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Haitian Creole: jedaza — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Hebrew: הִמּוּר \ הימור (himúr) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Hindi: जुआ (juā) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Hindi: क़िमार (qimār) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Hungarian: szerencsejáték — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Icelandic: fjárhættuspil — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Indonesian: perjudian — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Indonesian: judi — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Irish: cearrbhachas — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Italian: giochi d'azzardo — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Italian: gioco d'azzardo — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Japanese: 賭博 (tobaku) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Japanese: 博奕 (bakueki) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Japanese: 博打 (bakuchi) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Javanese: judhi — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Kazakh: құмар (qūmar) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Kazakh: әуестік ойын (äuestık oiyn) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Khmer: ការភ្នាល់ (kaa phnŏəl) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Korean: 도박 (dobak) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Korean: 노름 (noreum) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Central Kurdish: قومار (qumar) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Northern Kurdish: qumar — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Southern Kurdish: قومار (qumar) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Kyrgyz: кумар оюну (kumar oyunu) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Kyrgyz: кумар (kumar) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Lao: ການພະນັນ (kān pha nan) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Latvian: azartspēle — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Lithuanian: azartinis lošimas — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Macedonian: комар (komar) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Macedonian: коцкање (kockanje) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Macedonian: хазард (hazard) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Malay: perjudian — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Malay: judi — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Maltese: logħob tal-azzard — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Mongolian: мөрийтэй тоглоом (möriitej togloom) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hasard — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hasardspill — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Pashto: قمار (qemār) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Iranian Persian: قِمار (ġemâr) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Polish: hazard — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Portuguese: jogo de azar — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Romanian: jocuri de noroc — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Russian: аза́ртная игра́ (azártnaja igrá) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Russian: аза́ртные и́гры (azártnyje ígry) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Russian: иго́рный би́знес (igórnyj bíznɛs) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Russian: гэ́мблинг (gɛ́mbling) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Sanskrit: द्यूत (dyūta) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Serbo-Croatian: коцкање — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Serbo-Croatian: kockanje — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Slovak: hazardná hra — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Slovene: igra na srečo — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Spanish: juego de azar — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Spanish: timbeo — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Spanish: escolaso — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Spanish: apuesta — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Swahili: kamari — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Swedish: hasardspel — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Swedish: hasard — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Tagalog: sugal — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Tajik: қимор (qimor) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Tatar: комар (qomar) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Telugu: జూదము (jūdamu) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Thai: การพนัน (gaan-pá-nan) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Turkish: kumar — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Turkish: meysir — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Ottoman Turkish: قمار (kumar) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Ottoman Turkish: میسر (meysir) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Turkmen: humar — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Turkmen: kumarbazlyk — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Turkmen: kumar — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Ukrainian: аза́ртна гра (azártna hra) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Ukrainian: аза́ртна ігра́ (azártna ihrá) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Urdu: قِمار (qimār) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Urdu: جُوا (juā) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Uyghur: قىمار (qimar) — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Uzbek: qimor — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Vietnamese: đổ bác — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Vietnamese: đánh bạc — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
  • Vietnamese: cờ bạc — activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill and/or chance
Real reading context

gambling in complete knowledge articles