gambit

/ˈɡæmbɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡæmbɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgam-bət/ (ame, mw)

gambit — noun

  • gambitsingular
  • gambitsplural

1. a planned action — often involving some risk — that you carry out to put yoursel

1.名詞C1
釋義

a planned action — often involving some risk — that you carry out to put yourself ahead of others in a competition, negotiation, or argument.

例句

Lowering the price by twenty percent was Bilal's gambit to win the contract.

noun + to-infinitive: a gambit to do X

The senator's promise to refund taxes turned out to be a clever election gambit.

noun + noun: election gambit / opening gambit

同義詞
  • ploy

    near-synonym; slightly more negative, often implies deception

  • stratagem

    more formal, emphasises careful planning over risk

  • maneuver

    broader; covers any tactical move, not necessarily risky

  • tactic

    neutral and very broad; lacks the calculated-risk flavour of gambit

文法句型

a + gambit

gambit + to-infinitive

用法筆記

Subject of the action is usually a person, group, or institution pursuing a goal. Often paired with an adjective of evaluation (clever, risky, bold, desperate, transparent) and followed by 'to' + verb or 'aimed at' + noun to name the goal.

常見錯誤

❌Dahlia made a gambit to her boss for a raise.
✅Dahlia tried a gambit to get a raise from her boss.
💡you do not 'make a gambit to' someone; you try / attempt / pull a gambit.
❌The team chose a gambit strategy for the final.
✅The team chose a risky gambit for the final.
💡gambit already means a strategic move, so 'gambit strategy' is redundant.

2. in chess, a way of starting the game where you deliberately give up a pawn or sm

2.名詞C2
釋義

in chess, a way of starting the game where you deliberately give up a pawn or small piece, hoping to gain a stronger position on the board a few moves later.

例句

Minh opened with the Queen's Gambit and gave up a pawn on the second move.

named gambits are capitalised: the Queen's Gambit, the King's Gambit

Christopher refused the gambit and kept his pawn safe behind the king.

verb + noun: accept / decline / refuse a gambit

同義詞
  • opening

    broader chess term; an opening is any planned start, while a gambit specifically involves a sacrifice

  • sacrifice

    the move of giving up a piece; a gambit is the named opening built around that sacrifice

文法句型

the + [name] + gambit

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense always sits inside a chess context and almost always carries a definite article plus the gambit's proper name (the Queen's Gambit, the King's Gambit, the Evans Gambit). Outside chess writing, sense 1 is what readers expect.

常見錯誤

❌Sahil sacrificed a queen in his gambit on move two.
✅Sahil sacrificed a pawn in his gambit on move two.
💡a gambit typically risks a pawn or minor piece, not the queen.

3. the first thing you say when you want to begin talking to someone, especially a

3.名詞C1
釋義

the first thing you say when you want to begin talking to someone, especially a remark chosen to get the listener interested or to steer the talk in a particular direction.

例句

Amani's opening gambit at the party was a quiet joke about the dreadful weather.

fixed collocation: opening gambit

'So, how did you two meet?' is Hiro's favourite conversational gambit at family dinners.

conversational gambit, often a question

同義詞
  • opener

    informal; the first remark or move, less calculated-sounding than gambit

  • ice-breaker

    informal; a remark meant to ease social tension, less goal-directed than gambit

  • overture

    more formal; suggests an attempt to start a deeper exchange or relationship

文法句型

opening + gambit

conversational + gambit

用法筆記

Almost always preceded by 'opening' or 'conversational' — bare 'gambit' in this sense risks being read as sense 1. Subject of the action is the speaker; the listener's reaction is often described in the next clause.

常見錯誤

❌Aaron started the meeting with a gambit about the weather.
✅Aaron started the meeting with an opening gambit about the weather.
💡without 'opening' or 'conversational', readers default to sense 1 and expect a strategic move.