wager

1 of 2

noun

wa·​ger ˈwā-jər 

1

a

: something (such as a sum of money) risked on an uncertain event : stake

b

: something on which bets are laid : gamble

do a stunt as a wager

2

archaic : an act of giving a pledge to take and abide by the result of some action

wager

2 of 2

verb

wagered; wagering

ˈwāj-riŋ, 

ˈwā-jə- 

intransitive verb

: to make a bet

transitive verb

: to risk or venture on a final outcome

specifically : to lay as a gamble : bet

wager $5 on a horse

wagerer

ˈwā-jər-ər 

noun

Synonyms of wager

Noun

• stake
• bet

Verb

• bet
• put

Examples of wager in a Sentence

Noun

He has a wager on the game.

I don't think the horse will win. What's your wager?

Verb

She wagered $50 on the game.

I wouldn't wager against them.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Multiple people placed high-stakes wagers on Rozier to perform poorly before the game, all of whom won. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 9 Dec. 2025

Your initial wager also has to be on a market with odds of -500 or longer. —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025

Verb

Activate a $150 bonus offer or use a $1,000 first bet safety net to wager on all of today's games. —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025

The race can be watched and wagered on via the TwinSpires website. —Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English wageour pledge, bet, from Anglo-French wageure, from *wager

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1602, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing wager

• place/make a wager

Rhymes for wager

• ager
• gauger
• pager
• stager
• yager
• teenager

Kids Definition

wager

1 of 2 noun

wa·​ger ˈwā-jər 

1

: something (as a sum of money) risked on an uncertain event : bet

2

: something (as the outcome of a game or race) on which a bet is made

: gamble

wager

2 of 2 verb

wagered; wagering ˈwāj-(ə-)riŋ 

: to bet on the outcome of a contest or question

wagerer

ˈwā-jər-ər 

noun