high stakes
Much to lose
High stakes describes situations where significant consequences hang in the balance—large amounts of money, important outcomes, or serious risks.
Originally from gambling, where stakes are the money wagered: a high-stakes poker game.
The phrase extends to any consequential situation: high-stakes negotiations, a high-stakes election.
The hyphenated form typically precedes nouns.
- wagerStake on uncertainty
- gambleStake on uncertain outcome
- showdownDecisive final confrontation
- brinkmanshipPushing conflicts to disaster's threshold
- pokerHearth implement for coals
pressure · winner-take-all · game theory · make-or-break · moment of truth · policy-making · jeopardy · stress · peril · life-or-death · do-or-die · bet · all in · betting the farm · rivalry · risk · zero-sum · adrenaline
- gambling lingoall in, ante up, go all in, jackpot, bluff
- action filmschase scene, car chase, explosion, stunt, shootout
- Risk-Takingplaying with fire, rolling the dice, taking chances, living on the edge, going for broke
- suspensesuspense, suspenseful, tension, nail-biter, nail-biting
- thrillsroller coasters, thrill, adrenaline, skydiving, bungee jump
- poker roomspoker table, dealer, chips, blinds, flop
high stakeslow stakes
Minimal risk or consequence
trivial · inconsequential · negligible · minor · petty
high stakescasual
Relaxed and informal
low-pressure · relaxed · laid-back · easygoing · stress-free