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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

beat the odds en · VERB

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic, informal) To succeed despite being unlikely to do so.
    • The emotional appeal of the Trickster is that of the perpetual underdog who sometimes beats the odds. He surprises human beings and offers them hope in his illustration of freedom from destiny. 1983, Wendy Griswold, “The Devil's Techniques: Cultural Legitimation and Social Change”, in American Sociological Review, volume 48, number 5, page 669b of 668–680:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
beats the odds Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
beat the odds Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part colloquial lexicographic
beat the odds Tense=Past lexicographic
beaten the odds Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
beating the odds Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Relateds

over the odds