How to Use the Irregular Verb 'Bet' (Stubborn Verbs)

What's the past tense of "bet"?

The simple past tense of bet is bet, and the past participle is also bet. Use bet for both simple past and past participle. Betted, though sometimes accepted, is nonstandard.

Definition of bet

The verb bet, as described by Oxford Dictionary: "To risk money on the result of an event or a competition, such as a horse race, in the hope of winning more money: He bet $2,000 on the final score of the game." Also used to mean: "To feel very sure that something is true or that something will happen: I bet (that) we're too late."

The past tense of bet is bet.
The past participle of bet is bet.

Verb forms of 'bet'

Simple Cont. Perfect Perfect Cont.

Present

I/you/they bet • He/she/it bets

Past

I/you/he/she/it/they bet

Future

I/you/he/she/it/they will bet

Present

I am/you are betting • He/she/it is betting

Past

I was/you were betting • He/she/it was betting

Future

I/you will be betting • He/she/it will be betting

Present

I/you have bet • He/she/it has bet

Past

I/you had bet • He/she/it had bet

Future

I/you will have bet • He/she/it will have bet

Present

I have been betting • He/she/it has been betting

Past

I had been betting • He/she/it had been betting

Future

I will have been betting • He/she/it will have been betting

Is "bet" a regular or irregular verb?

Bet is an irregular verb. Unlike regular verbs that add "-ed" to form the past tense, bet maintains the same form for present, past, and past participle. This makes it part of a small group of irregular verbs that never change form, such as cut, shut, and hit.

When to use bet vs. betted

I bet on the underdog and won.

She has bet all her savings on the horse race.

The verb bet uses the same form for both simple past tense and present or past perfect), it requires an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so bet can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb.

Similar irregular verbs

Like bet, these verbs maintain the same form across present, past, and past participle tenses:

bet

Past: bet

Past part: bet

Sentence examples: bet, bet, bet

Bet (present tense)

• I bet on my favorite team every game.

• She bets on sports events regularly.

• They are betting on the championship.

Bet (past simple)

• I bet on the underdog and won.

• He bet $5 on the game.

• We bet everything on that horse race.

Bet (present or past perfect)

• She has bet all her savings on the horse race.

• They had bet their money on the wrong team.

• I have bet on this team before.

Synonyms & nearby words

Synonyms for bet

wager stake gamble risk venture speculate

Nearby phrases

put money on lay odds take a chance place a bet

FAQs

What's the past tense of bet?

The simple past tense of "bet" is typically "bet". This is considered the standard and correct form. It's an irregular verb.

Should I use bet or betted?

Primarily use "bet". "Betted" is considered archaic and nonstandard for the past tense and past participle forms of the verb. Stick to "bet" for safety.

Is betted the correct past tense?

"Betted" is considered incorrect for the simple past tense. It is described as archaic and nonstandard usage. The standard past tense form is "bet".

What is the past participle of bet?

The past participle form of "bet" is also "bet". It uses the same form as the base verb and the simple past tense, like other irregular verbs such as "cut" or "hit".

Why isn't 'betted' used for past tense?

"Betted" is considered archaic and nonstandard usage. The accepted and most common form for both the simple past and past participle tenses of "bet" is simply "bet".