1. In gambling:
* This refers to increasing your bet after an initial loss. You're essentially putting more money on the line in the hope of recouping your losses and turning things around.
2. In general usage:
* To double down means to commit more resources or effort to something, even if it's already failing. It can be used to describe a decision to intensify an effort, even if it means doubling down on a losing strategy.
Examples:
* Gambling: "He lost his first hand, but he doubled down and bet everything on the next one."
* General usage: "The company doubled down on their marketing campaign, even though it wasn't seeing results."
Origin:
The term comes from the game of blackjack, where players can choose to "double down" by doubling their initial bet and receiving only one more card.