guesswork

[ ges-wurk ]

/ ˈgɛsˌwɜrk /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for guesswork on Thesaurus.com

noun

work or procedure based on or consisting of the making of guesses or conjectures.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of guesswork

First recorded in 1715–25; guess + work

Words nearby guesswork

Guesclin, Guesde, guess, guess again, guesstimate, guesswork, guest, guest beer, guestbook, guest editor, guest flag

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use guesswork in a sentence

By attributing leads to their marketing efforts, real estate professionals figure out what inbound methods will bring high-quality leads with less guesswork.
What can 129 million calls tell us about inbound marketing? A lot, it turns out|Sponsored Content: CallRail|December 21, 2020|Search Engine Land
There are no burnished edges or browned tops, because when we bake in an Instant Pot, we do so to achieve creamy textures, to save time and to remove guesswork.
Yes, you can use your Instant Pot to make the creamiest of cheesecakes and other desserts|Jessie Sheehan|December 11, 2020|Washington Post
Take the guesswork out of content ideation with these top-ranked content ideas.
Seven most popular types of blog posts guaranteed to boost traffic|Karl Tablante|November 30, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Take the guesswork out of judging the contents and weight of your dishes with this Bluetooth-enabled scale from Etekcity that’ll both save time and increase the accuracy of your cooking.
Unique kitchen appliances that will save you time and money|PopSci Commerce Team|November 24, 2020|Popular-Science

It doesn’t take much guesswork to surmise who each of these tech titans is choosing as Election Day draws near.
Why the very richest Americans are refusing to take sides in the presidential race|Theodore Schleifer|September 30, 2020|Vox
It's also almost 100% guesswork, at least for the period before 1976, and certainly for the period before 1925.
How Much Does The Presidency Cost?|David Frum|June 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
But in the end, predicting yield is still basically guesswork.
The Biggest Admissions Edge|Steve Cohen|September 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST
For future biographers of Kennedy, there can now be less guesswork and pop psychology.
Teddy Reveals All, Almost|Adam Clymer|September 15, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Based on my experience with my own sources, guesswork about who is behind a story is often wrong.
NBC Universal Sees Red|Kim Masters|July 19, 2009|DAILY BEAST
It's always going to be very much a matter of insight, judgment, guesswork, and so forth.
Interview With Edmund Phelps|The Daily Beast|July 13, 2009|DAILY BEAST
As Bill walked back to his store he wondered how much Lowell actually knew, and how much had been shrewd guesswork.
Mystery Ranch|Arthur Chapman
The new system which is popularly supposed to have eliminated all guesswork has in reality done nothing of the kind.
Archaic England|Harold Bayley
No real scientist will waste his time on any guesswork like that.
Radio Boys Loyalty|Wayne Whipple
Oh, I tell you t'eddn guesswork with they St. Helen's folk; male or female they got a nose for a wreck, same as cats for mice.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, December 8, 1920|Various
All statistics are nothing but guesswork, and the bigger they are the better people like them.
My Life in Many States and in Foreign Lands|George Francis Train

British Dictionary definitions for guesswork

guesswork

/ (ˈɡɛsˌwɜːk) /

noun

a set of conclusions, estimates, etc, arrived at by guessing

the process of making guesses

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

guesswork

Origin of guesswork

Words nearby guesswork

Words related to guesswork

How to use guesswork in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for guesswork