{
    "term": "odds",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "academic": true,
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "the degree to which something is likely to happen",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "**The odds are** very much **in our favour** *(= we are likely to succeed)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**The odds** are heavily **against him** *(= he is not likely to succeed)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**The odds are that** *(= it is likely that)* she'll win."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**What are the odds** *(= how likely is it)* he won't turn up?"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["considerable", "great", "impossible"],
                "verb + odds": ["offer", "quote", "lay"],
                "odds + verb": ["fall", "go down", "lengthen"],
                "preposition": ["against the odds", "odds  against", "odds  of"],
                "phrases": [
                    "against all odds",
                    "against all the odds",
                    "face impossible odds"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "something that makes it seem impossible to do or achieve something",
            "sensetop": "against the oddsodds against (doing) something",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "They secured a victory in the face of overwhelming odds."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She **defied the odds** to beat the clear favourite."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to beat/overcome the odds"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The film is a heart-warming tale of triumph against the odds.",
                    "contextForm": "against the odds"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**Against all (the) odds**, he made a full recovery."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The odds against making a profit in this business are huge.",
                    "contextForm": "odds against (doing) something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He will try hard to win, although he knows the odds are stacked against him."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She struggled against terrible odds to overcome her illness."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Difficulty and failure"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["considerable", "great", "impossible"],
                "verb + odds": ["offer", "quote", "lay"],
                "odds + verb": ["fall", "go down", "lengthen"],
                "preposition": ["against the odds", "odds  against", "odds  of"],
                "phrases": [
                    "against all odds",
                    "against all the odds",
                    "face impossible odds"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "the connection between two numbers that shows how much money somebody will receive if they win a bet",
            "sensetop": "odds on somebody/something",
            "labels": "(figurative)",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "odds of ten to one *(= ten times the amount of money that has been bet by somebody will be paid to them if they win)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They are offering **long/short odds** *(= the prize money will be high/low because there is a high/low risk of losing)* on the defending champion.",
                    "contextForm": "odds on somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'll **lay odds** on him getting the job *(= I'm sure he will get it)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The bookmakers are offering only short odds on the favourite."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Sometimes an outsider will win at long odds, but not often."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The odds on the outsider were 100–1."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I put £10 on Middlesbrough to beat Manchester at odds of three to one."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["considerable", "great", "impossible"],
                "verb + odds": ["offer", "quote", "lay"],
                "odds + verb": ["fall", "go down", "lengthen"],
                "preposition": ["against the odds", "odds  against", "odds  of"],
                "phrases": [
                    "against all odds",
                    "against all the odds",
                    "face impossible odds"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to disagree with somebody about something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He's always at odds with his father over politics."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be different from something, when the two things should be the same",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "These findings are at odds with what is going on in the rest of the country."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "conflict"
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "you are unlikely to succeed because the conditions are not good for you",
            "examples": [],
            "topics": ["Difficulty and failure"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "you are likely to succeed because the conditions are good and you have an advantage",
            "examples": [],
            "topics": ["Success"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to say that something is not important",
            "labels": "(informal, especially British English)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It makes no odds to me whether you go or stay."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "more money than you would normally expect",
            "labels": "(British English, informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Many collectors are willing to pay over the odds for early examples of his work."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɒdz/",
                "audio": "od/odds/odds__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɑːdz/",
                "audio": "od/odds/odds__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "early 16th cent.: apparently the plural of the obsolete noun odd ‘odd number or odd person’."
}