chance and gamble share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. chance means “a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances”. gamble means “money that is risked for possible monetary gain”. chance is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈtʃæns/
1.n.a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
“the holiday gave us the opportunity to visit Washington”
2.n.an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
“bad luck caused his downfall”
3.n.a risk involving danger
“you take a chance when you let her drive”
/ˈɡæmbəl/
1.n.money that is risked for possible monetary gain
2.n.a risky act or venture
3.v.take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
“When you buy these stocks you are gambling”
| chance | gamble | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃæns/ | /ˈɡæmbəl/ |
| Said | chans | GAM-buhl |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb, adjective | noun, verb |
| Senses | 9 | 4 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | opportunity | none recorded |
Full entry for chance · Full entry for gamble · More comparisons