stake
stake — verb
1. to put money or something valuable at risk when you try to guess the result of a
to put money or something valuable at risk when you try to guess the result of a race, game, or other competition
Lara staked twenty dollars on her favorite horse at the local race track.
stake + money + on + [event/result]
Nia refused to stake more than a small amount on any card game.
The businessman staked his entire company on the success of his new invention.
Joshua staked a small bet on the final score of Saturday's football match.
Rather than stake everything on one risky idea, Mert split his savings three ways.
文法句型
stake + money + on + result/event
用法筆記
The object is usually money, but can also be something abstract you risk losing, such as your reputation or future.
常見錯誤
2. to push a pointed post into the ground next to a plant and tie the plant to it s
to push a pointed post into the ground next to a plant and tie the plant to it so that it can grow straight and strong
Chiara staked the tomato plants after the heavy rain bent them sideways.
stake + plant name (tomato / rose / bean)
Lakan staked each young rose bush, tying the branches loosely to a wooden post.
The old gardener staked the bean plants with bamboo poles every spring.
Esme staked her sunflowers so they would stand tall in the summer wind.
文法句型
stake + noun (plant)
用法筆記
Common in gardening instructions. The object is always a plant or group of plants that needs support.
3. to place pointed posts along the edges of a piece of land to show where it begin
to place pointed posts along the edges of a piece of land to show where it begins and ends, often when claiming ownership
Minho staked the area where his family planned to build their new house.
stake + area / land / boundary
The surveyors staked the boundaries of the land before the builders arrived.
The farmers staked their land claims by driving wooden posts into the ground.
Reema staked out a spot on the beach by putting down her towel before breakfast.
文法句型
stake + area / boundary / claim
用法筆記
Often used with 'out' as a phrasal verb (stake out) when claiming a space for practical use. The literal sense of marking land with posts is more common in historical or surveying contexts.
常見錯誤
4. to fasten a person or an animal to a pointed post with a rope or chain so that t
to fasten a person or an animal to a pointed post with a rope or chain so that they stay in one place
The farmer staked the goat to a wooden post near the vegetable garden.
stake + animal + to + [post/ground]
In the old legend, the prisoner was staked to the ground and could not escape.
Selim staked his horse near the stream while he set up camp.
The rescue team staked the heavy ropes to the ground to hold the bridge steady.
文法句型
stake + person/animal + to + noun
用法筆記
When used for animals, this sense overlaps with 'tether'. When used for tying objects like ropes or tents, it refers to securing them firmly with stakes or pegs.
stake — noun
1. a part ownership or financial interest that a person or organization holds in a
a part ownership or financial interest that a person or organization holds in a company or commercial project
The investment firm bought a large stake in several technology start-ups last year.
collocation: large / controlling / minority stake
Samir owns a 30 percent stake in his family's restaurant chain.
Foreign investors now hold a significant stake in the national airline.
Selling her stake in the publishing house gave Linh enough money to retire early.
The government reduced its stake in the bank from 40 percent to 15 percent.
文法句型
have a stake in [something]
用法筆記
Frequently modified by adjectives describing the size of the share: a controlling stake gives the holder decision-making power; a minority stake is smaller than 50 percent.
常見錯誤
2. a personal connection to an event or situation that makes its outcome matter to
a personal connection to an event or situation that makes its outcome matter to you — for example, being a parent whose child's school might close, or a resident whose neighbourhood is being redeveloped
As a shop owner, Gabriel has a stake in keeping the town centre busy.
have a stake in [outcome]
Every parent has a stake in the quality of their children's education.
The factory workers felt they had no stake in the company's future after the takeover.
Citizens have a direct stake in how the city spends its tax money.
Apinya has a personal stake in that housing plan — her family lived there thirty years.
- interest
broader, can be purely intellectual; stake implies personal consequences
- involvement
focuses on active participation rather than personal consequence
- concern
highlights worry or care; stake emphasises what could be gained or lost
文法句型
have a stake in [something]
用法筆記
Usually appears in the phrase have a stake in something. The 'something' is typically a decision, outcome, policy, or shared resource that affects the person directly.
3. a sum of money that a person bets on a game, race, or contest, which they will l
a sum of money that a person bets on a game, race, or contest, which they will lose if their prediction is wrong
Each player put fifty dollars into the pot, so the total stake was two hundred.
collocation: put a stake into the pot
Darius placed a small stake on the grey horse and was surprised when it won.
The stakes at the poker table grew larger as the night went on.
High-stakes gambling often attracts people who enjoy taking big risks with their money.
Nia refused to raise the stake beyond what she could afford to lose.
文法句型
stakes are high / low
用法筆記
Very commonly used in the plural form stakes even when referring to a single bet. The compounds high-stakes and low-stakes are widely used as adjectives before gambling-related nouns.
常見錯誤
4. the prize or reward that goes to the winner of a contest, game, or competition
the prize or reward that goes to the winner of a contest, game, or competition
The chess champion will take home the entire stake of five thousand pounds.
After sponsorship money was added, the stakes in this golf championship are higher than ever.
collocation: stakes are high for prize money
The prize money was the largest single stake ever offered in the school's science fair.
Christopher and his team competed for a cash stake of ten thousand dollars.
Organisers urged more riders to join the race to make the total stake worth winning.
文法句型
the stakes are [amount]
用法筆記
Usually plural (stakes) even when referring to a single prize pool. The phrase 'the stakes are (an amount)' indicates what the winner will receive.
5. a horse race in which the owners pay an entry fee for their horses, and the comb
a horse race in which the owners pay an entry fee for their horses, and the combined fees form the prize that goes to the winner
The Epsom Stakes is one of the oldest horse races in England.
used in proper name: the [Name] Stakes
Apinya read about the Golden Stakes in the racing pages of the weekend paper.
Horses from three different countries were entered in the Portland Stakes last July.
Winning the July Stakes was the highlight of the trainer's career.
Piotr placed a small bet on a long-shot horse running in the Derby Stakes.
文法句型
the [Name] Stakes
用法筆記
Always capitalised in race names. This is a specialised sense that appears almost exclusively in British horse-racing contexts.
6. an imaginary contest in which people are ranked by the degree of a specific trai
an imaginary contest in which people are ranked by the degree of a specific trait they show — for example, intelligence, patience, or creativity
In the intelligence stakes, Sofia was easily the sharpest person in the room.
pattern: in the [quality] stakes, [someone] is...
When it comes to the patience stakes, Dahlia's younger brother wins every time.
The two candidates were close in the popularity stakes throughout the election campaign.
Élise ranks high in the creativity stakes among the designers in her studio.
In the reliability stakes, an old bicycle can sometimes beat a brand new car.
- league
a level or rank; 'stakes' emphasises the comparison more than the level
- competition
more literal; 'stakes' has a light, metaphorical tone
文法句型
[adjective] stakes
用法筆記
Always appears in the pattern 'in the [quality] stakes', where the quality is a noun such as intelligence, popularity, or creativity. Semi-fixed expression; sounds slightly informal or humorous.
7. the valuable prize that participants compete for, which grows in size as more pe
the valuable prize that participants compete for, which grows in size as more people put money or resources into the contest.
The poker players decided to raise the stakes by putting more money into the pot.
collocation: raise the stakes
With the company's future on the line, the stakes in this contract negotiation have never been higher.
collocation: stakes have never been higher
Nia knew the stakes were high when she entered the final round of the science competition.
The winner would take the entire prize pool, and the stakes kept rising as more players joined.
文法句型
raise the stakes
the stakes + be + adjective
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form 'stakes'. The most common expression is 'raise the stakes', meaning to increase the prize or risk in a competition.
常見錯誤
8. the degree of urgency, danger, or importance in a serious situation that increas
the degree of urgency, danger, or importance in a serious situation that increases as events develop, making the outcome harder to predict or control.
As the deadline for the peace agreement approached, the stakes grew higher for both sides.
collocation: stakes grow higher
When the hurricane changed course toward the coast, the stakes for the coastal towns became dangerously high.
The sudden resignation of the CEO raised the stakes for the board members trying to steady the company.
Élise understood that the stakes in the international climate talks were too important for any delegation to walk away.
文法句型
the stakes + be + adjective
raise the stakes
用法筆記
Figurative extension of sense 7. Unlike sense 7, this is not about money or prizes — it refers to the potential consequences or risks in any high-pressure situation.
常見錯誤
9. a long pointed rod made of wood or metal that is driven into soil to hold a plan
a long pointed rod made of wood or metal that is driven into soil to hold a plant upright, keep a tent or fence in position, or show where a boundary lies.
Hyun drove a wooden stake into the ground to support the young apple tree.
collocation: drive a stake into the ground
The surveyors placed metal stakes along the property line to mark the new boundary.
collocation: place stakes to mark
Each tent was secured with four plastic stakes hammered deep into the soil.
Christopher used a bamboo stake to keep the tomato plant upright in the garden bed.
The farmer pulled up the old stakes and moved the fence closer to the barn.
文法句型
drive + stake
stake + into + ground
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'post' — a stake has a pointed end for driving into the ground, while a post is typically set into a hole or attached to a base.
10. a post set upright in the earth that was used in earlier times for executing som
a post set upright in the earth that was used in earlier times for executing someone by fire — the condemned person was fastened to it and wood was piled around.
In medieval Europe, people accused of heresy were sometimes tied to a stake and burned alive.
historical: tied to a stake and burned
The museum exhibit showed a reconstruction of the stake used for public executions in the sixteen hundreds.
Maeve read a book about a woman scientist who was burned at the stake for challenging the church's teachings.
Historians disagree about how many people actually died at the stake during the witch trials in Salem.
文法句型
burn at the stake
tie + to + the stake
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed expression 'burn at the stake' or 'die at the stake'. The stake itself was a method of execution, not a torture device.