stake

Compared meaning: money risked on an outcome (noun).

比较义项：赌注（名词）。

• bet

  The most common, everyday word for money risked on an outcome; used in casual speech, e.g. 'make a bet', 'win/lose a bet'; also common as a verb ('I bet you...'), a sense not compared here.

  最常见、最口语化的“赌注”说法，用于日常口语，如“make a bet”（打赌）、“win/lose a bet”（赢/输掉赌注）；bet 也常作动词表示“我敢说”，但这里不比较该义项。

  He made a two-dollar bet with his brother over who would win the game.

  他和哥哥打了个两美元的赌，赌谁会赢得比赛。

• stake 本词

  The amount of money put up before a bet or game, especially the buy-in; often used in the plural 'stakes'; the same spelling also means a wooden post, a different, uncompared sense.

  指下注或参赛前投入的本金，尤指入局的赌金；常用复数 stakes；同一拼写还可指“木桩”，是另一个不在此比较的义项。

  Each player had to put up a twenty-dollar stake before the card game began.

  纸牌游戏开始前，每位玩家都必须拿出二十美元的赌注。

• wager

  A formal or literary word for a bet, more common in writing or old-fashioned speech than in everyday conversation; less frequent overall than bet.

  bet 的正式或书面说法，多见于书面语或较旧式口语，日常对话中不如 bet 常用。

  In the story, the two knights settled their quarrel with a formal wager of one hundred gold coins.

  故事中，两位骑士以一百枚金币的正式赌注解决了他们的争执。

All three mean money risked on an outcome. Bet is the most common, everyday word, as in "make a bet." Stake is the amount put up before a bet, often called "stakes." Wager is formal or literary, more common in writing than speech.

这三个词在“赌注”这一义项上意思相近，但语域不同：bet 最口语化，stake 强调下注的本金且常用复数，wager 偏正式书面。这里不比较 bet 作动词表示“我敢说”的用法，也不比较 stake 表示“木桩”的义项。

Compared meaning: to risk something (verb).

比较义项：冒险；下赌注（动词）。

• stake 本词

  Stake means to bet or risk money, reputation, or something valuable on the outcome of an event, like gambling; it is typically followed by 'on'.

  stake 表示把金钱、名誉或其他有价值的东西押在某件事的结果上进行赌博，通常后面接“on”。

  He staked his life savings on a single hand of poker.

  他把毕生积蓄押在了一局扑克牌上。

• venture

  Venture means to dare to say, do, or attempt something despite possible failure, criticism, or disapproval, often in the pattern 'venture to do something'.

  venture 表示不顾可能遭遇的失败、批评或反对，大胆地去说、去做或尝试某事，常用“venture to do something”这一结构。

  She ventured to question the manager's decision in front of everyone.

  她大胆地当着所有人的面质疑了经理的决定。

• jeopardize

  Jeopardize means to put something already valuable, such as a chance, plan, relationship, or safety, at risk of being lost or damaged; it sounds formal and negative.

  jeopardize 表示使已经拥有的、有价值的东西——例如机会、计划、关系或安全——面临被损害或失去的危险，语气正式且带有负面色彩。

  Arriving late again could jeopardize your chances of getting the promotion.

  再次迟到可能会危及你获得晋升的机会。

• hazard

  Hazard means to risk doing or saying something despite danger or uncertainty, such as a risky action, a guess, or an opinion; it is formal and less common than the others in everyday speech.

  hazard 表示不顾危险或不确定性去冒险做某事或说出某种猜测、意见，语气正式，在日常口语中不如其他几个词常用。

  Rescuers hazarded a dangerous climb to save the hikers stranded on the cliff.

  救援人员冒险进行了一次危险的攀登，去营救困在悬崖上的徒步者。

All four mean to risk something. Stake means to bet money or reputation on an outcome. Venture means to dare say or do something risky. Jeopardize means to put something valuable at risk of loss. Hazard means to risk saying or doing something.

这几个词在“冒险”这一意义上很接近，但侧重点不同：stake 强调把金钱或名誉押上去赌一个结果；venture 强调不顾风险大胆地去说或做；jeopardize 强调让已有的东西陷入危险；hazard 语气较正式，多指冒险做某事或提出猜测。此外，stake 还有“（打入地里的）木桩”这一名词义项，venture 还有“风险企业，创业项目”这一名词义项，这里都不作比较。