guess
Americanverb (used with object)
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guesses,
present (3rd person singular)
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guessed,
past participle, past
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guessing
present participle
-
to arrive at or commit oneself to an opinion about (something) without having sufficient evidence to support the opinion fully.
to guess a person's weight.
- Synonyms:
- hazard
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to estimate or conjecture about correctly.
to guess what a word means.
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to think, believe, or suppose.
I guess I can get there in time.
- Antonyms:
- know
verb (used without object)
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guesses,
present (3rd person singular)
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guessed,
past participle, past
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guessing
present participle
-
to form an estimate or conjecture (often followed by at orabout ).
We guessed at the weight of the package.
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to estimate or conjecture correctly.
noun
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guesses
plural
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an opinion that one reaches or to which one commits oneself on the basis of probability alone or in the absence of any evidence whatever.
- Synonyms:
- supposition
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the act of forming such an opinion.
to take a guess at someone's weight.
idioms
verb
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to form or express an uncertain estimate or conclusion (about something), based on insufficient information
guess what we're having for dinner
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to arrive at a correct estimate of (something) by guessing
he guessed my age
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informal to believe, think, or suppose (something)
I guess I'll go now
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to let a person remain in a state of uncertainty
noun
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an estimate or conclusion arrived at by guessing
a bad guess
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the act of guessing
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something difficult to predict
Usage
What is a basic definition of guess? Guess means to attempt to provide an answer to something without knowing with certainty that it is correct. When you guess in this way, you don’t have enough information to know for sure. Guess is also a noun that refers to the answer that you give in such a situation. Guess also means to believe or suppose. Guess has a few other senses as a noun and a verb and is used in several idioms. When you guess, it means you’re trying to provide the right answer even though you don’t have enough information to know what it is. Real-life examples: People guess things because they don’t know all the details or because there is not enough information available. People often guess what the weather will be like, or what the future may hold, or what the right answer is to a question on a test. Used in a sentence: I had no clue what her favorite color was so I guessed that it was red. Guess is also commonly used as a noun to refer to the answer arrived at by a person who is guessing. A guess usually relies on luck or hope because a person doesn’t have enough information. Used in a sentence: I thought my prediction had a chance to come true, but my guess turned out to be wrong. As a verb, guess is also used as a synonym for words like think, believe, and suppose—it can mean to feel that something might be possible, doable, or feasible. Used in a sentence: I guess I can make it to the bank before it closes.
Synonym Usage
Guess, guess at, conjecture, surmise imply attempting to form an opinion as to the probable. To guess is to risk an opinion regarding something one does not know about, or, wholly or partly by chance, to arrive at the correct answer to a question: to guess the outcome of a game. Guess at implies more haphazard or random guessing: to guess at the solution of a crime. To conjecture is to make inferences in the absence of sufficient evidence to establish certainty: to conjecture the circumstances of the crime. Surmise implies making an intuitive conjecture that may or may not be correct: to surmise the motives that led to it.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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guessernoun
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preguessnoun
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guessableadjective
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unguessableadjective
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unguessedadjective
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guessinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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guesssimple
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guessessimple
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have guessedperfect
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has guessedperfect
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am guessingprogressive
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are guessingprogressive
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is guessingprogressive
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have been guessingperfect progressive
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has been guessingperfect progressive
Past
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guessedsimple
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had guessedperfect
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was guessingprogressive
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were guessingprogressive
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had been guessingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of guess
First recorded in 1300–50; (for the verb) Middle English gessen, perhaps from Scandinavian; compare Swedish, Danish, Norwegian gissa, Middle Low German gissen, Middle Dutch gessen, Old Norse geta; noun derivative of the verb; cf. get
Explanation
When you don't know the answer but you have to say something, you're taking a guess. When you don't know the answer on a test, you have to guess. People on game shows guess when they're not sure. There are wild guesses (when you have no idea) and educated guesses (when you have some information to work with). Trying to guess someone's age or weight is usually a bad idea, especially if you guess too old or heavy. If the teacher doesn't show up, you could say, "I guess there's no class today.”
Vocabulary lists containing guess
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.
See Examples For:
Then, on Tuesday, I got a photo of her in a hospital bed, and I cried because I guess I hadn’t realized she could get thinner.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
It doesn't take long to guess the main industry of the Chinese town of Zheng'an.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
“In that case, I don’t guess Elvis is going to be recording ‘I Will Always Love You,’” Parton recounted to “Out” in 1997.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
He also reminds me that I will likely inherit substantial assets when he and my mother are gone — my best guess is somewhere between $1 million and $2 million.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
“I guess I’ll take next week,” said Eric LoBianco, a large boy who everyone said had wet his seat in second grade because the teacher wouldn’t let him leave the class to use the bathroom.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
Instead of focusing on words that seem most likely to be the answer, the method identifies guesses that reveal the greatest amount of information and eliminate the largest number of possibilities.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026
But those are my are my guesses right there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
“More or less educated guesses, but they were guesses.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026
When a superhero satire’s guesses about how bad life could get are outdone by reality, then the fiction has lost its escapist function.
From Salon ● May 24, 2026
Students began calling out guesses for the words.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
"She's been on an adventure," Hannah said, and that she guessed "we'll never know" what happened to Charlie.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
That’s not who I’d have guessed was on this app.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
The previous record was held by, you guessed it, “Avengers: Endgame.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
While it lacks the shock of the new of its predecessor, it stands as a solid late-period entry from a band few would have guessed would still be issuing new material in 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Torak guessed that if he were reckless enough to remove the heavy, furred boots, he’d find a similar mark on each heel.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
While guessing that Ohtani’s balky left knee would not allow him to be 100% by October, manager Dave Roberts openly wondered Saturday whether a pitching comeback is worth the effort.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Nobody knows how much further this goes, and anyone who tells you they do know is guessing.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
I’m guessing that among today’s burgeoning cinephiles, silent movies evoke an ancient vibe that is, in its own way, a little hardcore.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
She went on to speak of another alleged incident after Dott was said to have asked if she wanted to play a "guessing game" at the house.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
I’m halfway through it when Elsie says, “I’m guessing things didn’t go well, huh?”
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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.
