sweepstakes

[swˈipstˌeks] /ˈswēp-ˌstāks How to pronounce sweepstakes (audio)/ (ame, mw)

sweepstakes — noun

1. a prize draw or lottery that people enter for a chance to win money or another r

1.名詞B2
釋義

a prize draw or lottery that people enter for a chance to win money or another reward.

例句

Mateo entered a supermarket sweepstakes to win free groceries for a year.

enter a sweepstakes to win a prize

The radio station's summer sweepstakes gave one listener a beach holiday.

promotional sweepstakes run by a company

同義詞
  • raffle

    usually involves numbered tickets sold for a draw

  • giveaway

    more informal, especially for online or promotional prizes

用法筆記

Often used for a store, website, or media promotion. People usually enter a sweepstakes for a prize rather than compete directly against each other in the event itself.

2. a competition in which many people or groups are all trying to win the same job,

2.名詞C1
釋義

a competition in which many people or groups are all trying to win the same job, prize, or advantage.

例句

Three streaming services are leading the sweepstakes for the movie rights.

sweepstakes for a valuable deal

After two strong games, Tara moved to the front of the sweepstakes.

同義詞
  • race

    more general and often less strongly tied to a prize or public contest

  • contest

    neutral word for a competitive event or struggle

用法筆記

Common with for + the thing people want to win, such as a contract, role, or title. Distinguish from sense 1, which focuses on a prize draw, and sense 3, which involves money paid into a betting pool.

3. a betting pool where everyone pays to take part and the person who wins gets the

3.名詞C1
釋義

a betting pool where everyone pays to take part and the person who wins gets the shared pot.

例句

At the office sweepstakes, everyone paid five dollars and picked a horse.

pay to join a betting sweepstakes

Reuben won the World Cup sweepstakes after guessing every match result.

sweepstakes based on predicted results

同義詞
  • pool

    shorter and more general; often used for shared betting money

  • lottery

    broader; can involve random drawing rather than choosing a result

用法筆記

Usually involves a small payment and a prediction, such as choosing a horse or match result. Unlike sense 1, the prize normally comes from the money contributed by the people who join.