- odds */*/
- UK [ɒdz] / US [ɑdz]
noun [plural]
1) the chances of something happeningthe odds of doing something:(the) odds are (that) (= it is likely that):
The odds of getting hit by a falling satellite are very small.
the odds are in favour of something/(stacked) against something (= it is likely/unlikely to happen):The odds are they won't succeed.
the odds are in someone's favour/(stacked) against someone (= they are likely/unlikely to succeed):The odds were always in favour of a South African victory.
What are the odds...?:The odds were stacked against him, but he never gave up.
What are the odds Jim will show up this time?
2) the chances that are used for calculating how much money you will get if the person or thing you bet on wins a race or competitiongive/lay/offer (someone) odds of something:I didn't bet on the horse because I didn't like the odds.
They're giving odds of 5–1 against a knockout in the first round.
3) difficulties or conditions that make success unlikelyagainst all (the) odds:Left alone, they were fighting against overwhelming odds.
Against all the odds, we won our case on appeal.
•at odds (with)
— disagreeing with someone; if things are at odds with each other, they are different or opposite when they should be the sameShe continued to find herself at odds with the chairman.
This statement is completely at odds with what was said last week.
informal used for saying that something does not matter to youit/something doesn't make any odds (to me)
— British
You can come if you like. It makes no odds to me.
long/short odds
— an unlikely/likely chance of winning if you bet on a horse in a race or on the result of a competitioninformal used for saying that something does not matterwhat's the odds?
— British
We'll miss the bus, but what's the odds? There's another at 10.00.
English dictionary. 2014.