gambit means an opening in chess in which material is sacrificed to gain an advantage. It carries an Arena rating of 1884, earned across 58 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, gambit ranks #128 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #152 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #166 of 42,747 for Qualifying, #341 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words.
gambit is pronounced /ˈɡæmbɪt/.
Why “gambit” is a great word
A chess opening or any strategic maneuver in which something is risked or sacrificed to gain a later advantage, from the Italian gambetto (“a tripping up”), from gamba (“leg”), first attested in English c. 1650s. Unlike a gamble, which leans on chance, or a ploy, which implies a trick, a gambit is an open-handed sacrifice, a calculated deficit offered to seize the initiative. It is the pawn left undefended to lure an opponent into a trap, the vulnerable confession that disarms a critic, or the bridge burned to ensure no retreat—the elegant violence of giving something up to take everything.
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian gambetto (“act of tripping; gambit”), from gamba (“leg”) + -etto (diminutive suffix). First attested in 1656.
noun
- An opening in chess in which material is sacrificed to gain an advantage.e.g.“Her clever gambit gave her an advantage.”
- Any ploy or stratagem.e.g.“Their promise to lower taxes is clearly an election-year gambit.”
- A remark intended to open a conversation.
verb
- To sacrifice (a pawn or minor piece) to gain an advantage.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- countergambit 59% match — A defence involving the use of the black-piece gambit in response to the white-piece gambit. vs gambit →
- gamb 57% match — The leg or shank, typically of an animal, especially of a lion, on a coat of arms, crest, etc. vs gambit →
- gamblesome 53% match — Characterised or marked by gambling vs gambit →
- plachutta 52% match — A sacrificial move in chess which is played with the intention of fatally interfering with the opponent's combination attacking or defensive position. vs gambit →
- gambade 52% match — The leap of a horse. vs gambit →
- stratagem 51% match — A tactic or artifice designed to gain the upper hand, especially one involving underhanded dealings or deception. vs gambit →
- famble 49% match — A hand. vs gambit →
- tabiya 49% match — A position in the opening of a game that occurs after a sequence of moves that is heavily standardized, and from which the players have many possible moves again. vs gambit →