crapshoot

/ˈkræpʃuːt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkræpʃuːt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkrap-ˌshüt/ (ame, mw)

crapshoot — noun

  • crapshootsingular
  • crapshootsplural

1. a situation or choice that may end well or badly, with luck affecting the result

1.名詞C1
釋義

a situation or choice that may end well or badly, with luck affecting the result so much that nobody can predict it with confidence or steer it very far.

例句

Choosing a startup that early can feel like a crapshoot for new investors.

feel like a crapshoot

For parents, finding an affordable apartment near the school was a crapshoot.

同義詞
  • gamble

    focuses more on taking the risk deliberately, while crapshoot stresses the unpredictable result

  • toss-up

    suggests two outcomes are evenly balanced, while crapshoot can involve many possible results

  • roll of the dice

    another informal image of luck, often used for one bold decision

反義詞
  • certainty

    describes an outcome that is known or highly predictable

用法筆記

Usually appears after be, become, or seem. It suggests that skill and planning matter less than luck, so even careful people cannot control the outcome much.

常見錯誤

❌Getting this visa is a crapshoot because the form is long.
✅Getting this visa is a crapshoot because the decision often depends on luck.
💡A crapshoot means chance dominates, not simply that something is difficult or annoying.

2. the gambling game of throwing dice that is more commonly called craps.

2.名詞C2
釋義

the gambling game of throwing dice that is more commonly called craps.

例句

After dinner, Aaron headed to the casino floor for a late-night crapshoot.

casino crapshoot

The movie shows sailors cheering around a noisy crapshoot in the back room.

同義詞
  • craps

    the standard modern name for the same dice game

  • shooting dice

    an informal phrase for playing dice, not always specifically the casino game craps

用法筆記

Mostly American and often found in older writing, films, or casino talk. In current everyday use, people usually say craps rather than crapshoot for the game itself.