Phrase guide

play stupid games, win stupid prizes

proverb · 1 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

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1

proverb

Meaning 1

If one makes poor decisions, then one should expect negative consequences.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: wie de billen brandt moet op de blaren zitten — if one makes poor decisions, then one should expect negative consequences
  • Japanese: 自業自得 (jigōjitoku) — if one makes poor decisions, then one should expect negative consequences
  • Polish: gdyby kózka nie skakała, toby nóżki nie złamała — if one makes poor decisions, then one should expect negative consequences
  • Polish: grasz w głupie gry, wygrywasz głupie nagrody — if one makes poor decisions, then one should expect negative consequences
  • Turkish: kötü seçimler yapan biri, kötü sonuç beklemelidir. — if one makes poor decisions, then one should expect negative consequences