bet the farm
To be absolutely certain, to have no doubtsTo be absolutely certain, to have no doubts.
» I'd bet the farm on it.
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
2 senses(idiomatic)To be absolutely certain, to have no doubts.
I'd be surprised if those two are still dating come Christmas, but I'm not betting the farm on a breakup just yet.
(idiomatic)To make a substantial wager or risk.
Examples
2 sentencesI'd bet the farm on it.
They've bet the farm on it.
Origin
Possibly nothing more than a case of real estate as wager stakes, but also plausibly becauPossibly nothing more than a case of real estate as wager stakes, but also plausibly because farmers cannot avoid gambling and the stakes are financial ruin: they must make many decisions (such as which crops to plant each year, and how to manage livestock), and outside factors such as weather or changing commodity markets can dash their hopes. Thus, when making a decision they must ask themselves whether they are confident enough to bet the farm as the wager stakes.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
bets the farm, betting the farm, bet the farm, bet the farm| Base form | bet the farm · to bet the farm |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | bets the farm |
| Present participle | betting the farm |
| Past simple | bet the farm |
| Past participle | bet the farm |
irregular · Lesson
Synonyms
4 synonymsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle