Meanings
noungambling (usually uncountable, plural gamblings)
plural gamblings
- uncountableusuallyAn activity characterized by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance, usually with money wagered on the outcome.
Online gambling has become a global industry.
2 more examples
He lost a fortune through gambling at casinos.
For them gambling is life.
1976, William Robson, Welfare State and Welfare Society: Illusion and Reality, Taylor & Francis
verb
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of gamble
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivepreoccupied with the pursuit of pleasure and especially games of chance
Similar
nounthe act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize)
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
By surface analysis, gamble + -ing.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic قِمَار, مُقَامَرَة
- قِمَار (qimār)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- مُقَامَرَة (muqāmara)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- مَيْسِر (maysir)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Bengali জুয়া
- জুয়া (juẏa)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Bulgarian хаза́рт, кома́р
- хаза́рт (hazárt)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- кома́р (komár)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Chinese Mandarin 賭博 /赌博
- 賭博 /赌博 (dǔbó)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Czech hazardní hra
- hazardní hraactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Danish hasard, hasardspil
- hasardactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- hasardspilactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Dutch kansspel, gokspel
- kansspelactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- gokspelactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- hazardspelactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Estonian mängurlus, hasartmäng
- mängurlusactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- hasartmängactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Finnish uhkapeli, rahapeli
- uhkapeliactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- rahapeliactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
French jeux de hasard, pari
- jeux de hasardactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- pariactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
German Glücksspiel, Hasardspiel
- Glücksspielactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- Hasardspielactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Greek χαρτοπαιξία, τζόγος
- χαρτοπαιξία (chartopaixía)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- τζόγος (tzógos)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- κουμάρι (koumári)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Hebrew הִמּוּר \ הימור
- הִמּוּר \ הימור (himúr)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Hindi जुआ, क़िमार
- जुआ (juā)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- क़िमार (qimār)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Hungarian szerencsejáték
- szerencsejátékactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Icelandic fjárhættuspil
- fjárhættuspilactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Indonesian perjudian, judi
- perjudianactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- judiactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Irish cearrbhachas
- cearrbhachasactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Italian giochi d'azzardo, gioco d'azzardo
- giochi d'azzardoactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- gioco d'azzardoactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Japanese 賭博, 博奕
- 賭博 (tobaku)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- 博奕 (bakueki)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- 博打 (bakuchi)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Korean 도박, 노름
- 도박 (dobak)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- 노름 (noreum)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Latvian azartspēle
- azartspēleactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Lithuanian azartinis lošimas
- azartinis lošimasactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Malay perjudian, judi
- perjudianactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- judiactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Norwegian Bokmål hasard, hasardspill
- hasardactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- hasardspillactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Polish hazard
- hazardactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Portuguese jogo de azar
- jogo de azaractivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Romanian jocuri de noroc
- jocuri de norocactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Russian аза́ртная игра́, аза́ртные и́гры
- аза́ртная игра́ (azártnaja igrá)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- аза́ртные и́гры (azártnyje ígry)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- иго́рный би́знес (igórnyj bíznɛs)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- гэ́мблинг (gɛ́mbling)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Slovak hazardná hra
- hazardná hraactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Spanish juego de azar, timbeo
- juego de azaractivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- timbeoactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- escolasoactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- apuestaactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Swahili kamari
- kamariactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Swedish hasardspel, hasard
- hasardspelactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- hasardactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Tagalog sugal
- sugalactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Thai การพนัน
- การพนัน (gaan-pá-nan)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Turkish kumar, meysir
- kumaractivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- meysiractivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Ukrainian аза́ртна гра, аза́ртна ігра́
- аза́ртна гра (azártna hra)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- аза́ртна ігра́ (azártna ihrá)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Urdu قِمار, جُوا
- قِمار (qimār)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- جُوا (juā)activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Vietnamese đổ bác, đánh bạc
- đổ bácactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- đánh bạcactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
- cờ bạcactivity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by skill or chance
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with gambling
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
gambling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gambling
MLA
“gambling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gambling. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gambling,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gambling.
Source: gambling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.