- present participle of assume.
assuming
Americanadjective
adjective
conjunction
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of assuming
Explanation
If someone accuses you of being assuming, he or she thinks you are arrogant or that you take too much for granted. If you take on an assuming tone when you ask for something, people are more likely to feel offended than to be generous. A person who is quiet and modest is often described approvingly as being unassuming. That person's conceited cousin, with an inflated opinion of himself and a strong sense of entitlement, is more of an assuming sort. You can also use this word as a conjunction. Assuming we leave at 9:00 a.m. and there is little traffic, we should arrive in the late afternoon.
Vocabulary lists containing assuming
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.
"As half of our overheads stem from staff costs, a theoretical calculation -- assuming no change in labour costs -- would result in the loss of around 50,000 jobs," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
Instead of assuming you’ll earn steadily more as you advance in your profession, you plan for sudden job loss, a health crisis or some other life-changing adverse event.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
No one forced him to keep all of this buried and push ahead, assuming that his charisma could pull him through.
From Slate ● Jul. 11, 2026
Many had taken out loans assuming they would continue growing at the breakneck pace of the pandemic’s remote-work era.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
So there you have it: Hamilton safely buried and assuming legendary proportions as a martyr; Burr slipping out of town, eventually headed toward bizarre adventures in the American West, but already consigned to political oblivion.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
