smaller odds

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "smaller odds" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing probabilities or chances that are less likely to occur. For example, "The team has smaller odds of winning the championship this year." Alternative expressions include "lower odds" and "reduced odds."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

26 human-written examples

Much smaller odds of a cold beer dumped on your head.

The New York Times - Sports

Odds ratio (ORs) indicated the odds of participants dropping out from the VR versus the comparison group, with sub-unitary ORs indicating smaller odds for drop-out in the VR group.

Nature

Spurs trail 3-2 from the first leg and, while they could and should go through, Young Boys' considerable aptitude on the counter-attack surely makes them worthy of smaller odds than the 16-1 you can get on them winning tonight's match outright.

The Guardian - Sport

The reason is the drive towards reliably detecting risk-SNPs that have smaller odds ratios and lower allele frequency.

Wikipedia

No disrespect to my fellow musicians and pro athlete friends, but the sobering reality is that only one in a million, or smaller odds, may make it as a pro athlete or become a world famous musician.

HuffPost

Being a layperson who doesn't spend his time über-hawkishly writing science-fiction (though I'll be the first to admit to occasional paranoia), I'll even go so far as to hazard the guess that there are even smaller odds that my fellow commoners have really any idea about one particularly lifeless vestige of Cold War era fail-deadly deterrence: Russia's Dead Hand.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

34 human-written examples

It makes small odds that the Australian press has already dubbed Gehry's building the "brown bag".

The Guardian - Arts

Yet when millions of driverless cars take to the roads, small odds can build up to a daily occurrence.

The Guardian

The genetic architecture of MS is complex, where genetic risk has been attributed to over 100 polymorphic loci each with small odds ratios.

Molecular and Cellular Probes

The associated alleles present small odds ratios (the odds of a risk variant being present in cases vs. controls) and suggest causative involvement of gene regulatory mechanisms in SZ. (2) Polygenic inheritance.

Brain Research Bulletin

Basically, the infinitesimally small odds of winning the big jackpots became even worse — they are now one in roughly 292 million for Powerball and one in 259 million for Mega Millions.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "smaller odds" when you want to indicate that the probability of an event occurring is reduced compared to another situation.

Common error

Avoid using "smaller odds" when you actually mean "small odds and ends". The latter refers to miscellaneous small items, while the former refers to probability.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "smaller odds" functions as a noun phrase that quantifies probability or likelihood. It typically appears in comparative contexts, indicating a reduced chance of a particular outcome. As Ludwig AI shows, this phrase is used to describe the reduced likelihood of events, from sports outcomes to scientific results.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "smaller odds" is a grammatically sound and functionally effective way to describe a reduced probability or likelihood. Ludwig AI confirms its validity, showing that is used in a range of contexts, predominantly within scientific and news-related domains. Although not overly frequent, its meaning is clear and its use is appropriate when comparing the likelihood of different outcomes. When using the phrase, be sure it correctly reflects the situation and that the comparison being made is logical and clear.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lower probability

Focuses on the probability aspect, using "lower" as a direct synonym for "smaller".

reduced likelihood

Replaces "odds" with "likelihood", emphasizing the chance of something happening.

decreased chance

Substitutes "odds" with "chance", offering a more general term for possibility.

slimmer possibility

Uses "slimmer" to convey a reduced possibility.

less probable

Emphasizes the reduced probability using the adjective "probable".

diminished prospects

Replaces "odds" with "prospects", referring to potential outcomes.

weaker chance

Uses "weaker" to describe a less potent chance.

unlikely scenario

Shifts the focus to the scenario being unlikely.

remote possibility

Describes the possibility as distant or unlikely.

minimal expectation

Indicates a low level of anticipation or expectation.

FAQs

How can I use "smaller odds" in a sentence?

You can use "smaller odds" to describe a situation where the likelihood of something happening is reduced. For example, "Investing in established companies usually carries "lower risk", resulting in "smaller odds" of losing your investment".

What are some alternatives to "smaller odds"?

Alternatives to "smaller odds" include "lower probability", "reduced likelihood", or "decreased chance". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "smallest odds" instead of "smaller odds"?

"Smallest odds" implies a comparison among multiple possibilities, indicating the absolute least likely outcome. "Smaller odds" compares two specific scenarios, indicating one is less likely than the other. Choose based on whether you are comparing more than two possibilities.

What's the difference between "smaller odds" and "slim odds"?

"Smaller odds" is a direct comparison, indicating a reduction in probability. "Slim odds" suggests a very low probability in general. For example, "winning the lottery has "slim odds"", whereas "the team had "smaller odds" of winning after their star player got injured".