surmise
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a matter of conjecture.
-
an idea or thought of something as being possible or likely.
-
a conjecture or opinion.
verb
noun
Related Words
See guess.
Other Word Forms
- surmisable adjective
- surmisedly adverb
- surmiser noun
- unsurmised adjective
- unsurmising adjective
Etymology
Origin of surmise
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English surmisen, from Anglo-French surmis(e), Middle French “accused,” past participle of surmettre “to accuse,” from Latin supermittere “to throw upon,” from super super- + mittere “to let go, send”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We don’t really know who Isidora was: We can surmise that she was, most likely, the wife of a man of means, of high but not regal status.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
A half-blind raccoon could surmise Gladys’ origins if it were paying attention to the first two-thirds of the film.
From Salon • Aug. 8, 2025
As my colleague Paul Roberts reported, experts in the retail sector surmise that North Face’s decision was a consequence of local challenges and the larger problems in the outdoor clothing sector.
From Seattle Times • May 24, 2024
“You might surmise it, but you don’t have a quantitative record,” he said.
From New York Times • May 3, 2024
The less this Quiz Bowl is made into a big deal, the faster I can skedaddle out of here, I surmise.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
