sure
Part of speech: adj
adv
intj
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Middle English sure, seur, sur, from Middle French sur or Old French seür, from Latin sēcūrus (“secure”, literally “carefree”), from sē- (“apart”) + cūra (“care”) (compare Old English orsorg (“carefree”), from or- (“without”) + sorg (“care”)). See cure. Doublet of secure and the now obsolete or dialectal sicker (“certain, safe”).
Displaced native Middle English wis, iwis (“certain, sure”) (from Old English ġewis, ġewiss (“certain, sure”)), as well as Middle English siker (“sure, secure”) (from Old English sicor (“secure, sure”)) with which it was cognate.
Inflected forms:
form: surer
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: surest
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: sho
pos: adj
tags: alternative
form: sho'
pos: adj
tags: alternative
form: more sure
pos: adv
tags: comparative
form: most sure
pos: adv
tags: superlative
form: sho
pos: adv
tags: alternative
form: sho'
pos: adv
tags: alternative
form: sho
pos: intj
tags: alternative
form: sho'
pos: intj
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: Physically secure and certain, non-failing, reliable.
pos: adj
examples: This investment is a sure thing.
The bailiff had a sure grip on the prisoner's arm.
'In the end,' said Mustapha Mond, 'the Controllers realized that force was no good. The slower but infinitely surer methods of ectogenesis, Neo-Pavlovian conditioning and hypnopædia…'
gloss: Certain in one's knowledge or belief.
pos: adj
examples: The very excess of the extravagance, in fact, by suggesting to the reader continually the mere aeriality of the entire speculation, furnishes the surest means of disenchanting him from the horror which might else gather upon his feelings.
The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on a certain afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house.
Roy: I'm 95% sure it was him.
Jen: You... you said you were 99% sure.
Roy: I'm 97% sure it was him.
Are you sure to succeed, as polls say? —Well, I am at least certain of making it to the podium this time.
He was sure of being a finalist.
They aren't sure who will attend for sure.
You seemed sure that the car was his. Yeah. I’m not sure what is the point of spending hours and hours discussing this.
gloss: Certain to act or be a specified way.
pos: adj
examples: Be sure to lock the door when you leave.
gloss: Free from danger; safe; secure.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: Feare not: the Forreſt is not three leagues off, / If we recouer that, we are ſure enough.
gloss: Betrothed; engaged to marry.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: c. 1513-1518 (probably date written, published after 1535) Thomas More, History of King Richard III
The king was sure to Dame Elizabeth Lucy, and her husband before God.
I presum'd […] [that] you had been sure, as fast as faith could bind you, man and wife.
gloss: Without doubt, certainly.
pos: adv
tags: modal
examples: Sure he's coming! Why wouldn't he?
"Did you kill that bear yourself?" ―"I sure did!"
It sure is cold out
Isn’t there another way to do it? – Sure is, if you don’t mind going back home.
These high and gusty relishes of life, sure,
Have no allayings of mortality in them.
gloss: Without fail, surely.
pos: adv
tags: archaic
examples: Theſe are the wings ſhall make it flie as ſwift,
As dooth the lightening: or the breath of heauen,
And kill as ſure as it ſwiftly flies.
gloss: Yes; of course.
pos: intj
examples: "Could you tell me where the washrooms are?" "Sure, they're in the corner over there."
gloss: Yes; I guess; you could say that; a weak or noncommittal positive response.
pos: intj
examples: "Do you like cats?" "Sure."
"Do you want me to put this in the garage?" "Sure, go ahead."
gloss: You're welcome; polite response to being thanked.
pos: intj
examples: "Thanks for helping me with that electrical fault." "Sure. Any time."
Synonyms: OK
yes
Related words: assure
ensure
insure
Derived words: are you sure you're sure
as sure as eggs are eggs
as sure as eggs is eggs
cock-sure
cocksure
damn sure
footsure
for sure
I'm sure
make sure
oversure
self-sure
slow but sure wins the race
snowsure
sure as a gun
sure as death
sure as death and taxes
sure as eggs
sure as eggs are eggs
sure as eggs is eggs
sure as fate
sure as hell
sure as shit
sure as shooting
sure as sugar
sure as taxes
sure as the sun is going to come up tomorrow
sure as the sun is going to come up tomorrow morning
sure as the sun is going to rise tomorrow
sure as the sun is going to rise tomorrow morning
sure as the world
sureball
sure bet
sure-enough
sure enough
sure-fire
surefooted
sure-footed
sure-footedness
sure hand at the tiller
sure-handed
sure-handedly
sure-handedness
sure hand on the tiller
surely
sureness
sure of oneself
sureseater
sure thing
surety
sure up
to be sure
unsure
unsured
Translations:
lang: Hungarian
word: mindenképpen
lang: Bulgarian
word: разбира се
roman: razbira se
lang: Finnish
word: toki
lang: Finnish
word: vaikka
lang: French
word: d'accord
lang: Polish
word: pewnie
lang: Polish
word: jasne
lang: Polish
word: spoko