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Eipjoo Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary

I was willing to bet

Although I could not see it in the fog, I knew that Gibbet Wood lay not far ahead at the top of Gibbet Hill. It would be wet and soggy in among the trees, but I was willing to bet that the police had not been there before me.

I bet:
used to express certainty
used for saying that you are sure about something

willing:
ready, eager, or prepared to do something
inclined or favorably disposed in mind
used about someone who does something in an enthusiastic way

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Consulting the accounts above from the dictionaries, does the expression, “I was willing to bet” intensify or weaken the meaning of “I bet”?
  

Top answer

" "Willing" seems to focus on a constant state of mind, whereas, "I bet" is over and done with. Interestingly, " I'll bet" has the same effect, but to a lesser degree.

— Avangi

  • " "Willing" seems to focus on a constant state of mind, whereas, "I bet" is over and done with.
  • Interestingly, " I'll bet" has the same effect, but to a lesser degree.
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3 Answers
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In my opinion, "I am/was willing to bet" intensifies "I bet," although context could also intensify "I bet."
"Willing" seems to focus on a constant state of mind, whereas, "I bet" is over and done with.
Interestingly, "I'll bet" has the same effect, but to a lesser degree.
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'I bet' and 'I'll bet' informally mean 'I predict' (see VB 3 here).

'I was willing to bet' means 'I was prepared to wager money and risk losing it if I was wrong that the police....'

Rover
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Rover_KE 'I was prepared to wager money and risk losing it if I was wrong
Hi Rover,
I agree that's what it means, but I often hear it said by people who have no intention of taking it literally.
It can be a bit of hyperbole.

Best regards,

- A.
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