sure

[ shoo r, shur ]

/ ʃʊər, ʃɜr /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sure ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, sur·er, sur·est.

free from doubt as to the reliability, character, action, etc., of something: to be sure of one's data.

confident, as of something expected: sure of success.

convinced, fully persuaded, or positive: to be sure of a person's guilt.

assured or certain beyond question: a sure victory.

worthy of confidence; reliable; stable: a sure messenger.

unfailing; never disappointing expectations: a sure cure.

unerring; never missing, slipping, etc.: a sure aim.

admitting of no doubt or question: sure proof.

destined; bound inevitably; certain: sure death.

Obsolete. secure; safe.

be sure, to take care (to be or do as specified); be certain: Be sure to close the windows.

adverb

Informal. certainly; surely: It sure is cold out. Sure, I'll come.

Nearby words

Idioms

for sure, as a certainty; surely: It's going to be a good day, for sure.

make sure, to be or become absolutely certain: I'm calling to make sure that you remember to come.

sure enough, Informal. as might have been supposed; actually; certainly: Sure enough, the picnic was rained out.

to be sure,

without doubt; surely; certainly.
admittedly: She sings well, to be sure, but she can't act.

Origin of sure

1300–50; Middle English sur(e) < Middle French sur, Old French seur < Latin sēcūrus secure

SYNONYMS FOR sure

1. Sure, certain, confident, positive indicate full belief and trust that something is true. Sure, certain, and positive are often used interchangeably. Sure, the simplest and most general, expresses mere absence of doubt. Certain suggests that there are definite reasons that have freed one from doubt. Confident emphasizes the strength of the belief or the certainty of expectation felt. Positive implies emphatic certainty, which may even become overconfidence or dogmatism.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sure ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

sure·ness, nouno·ver·sure, adjectiveo·ver·sure·ly, adverbo·ver·sure·ness, noun

un·sure, adjectiveun·sure·ly, adverbun·sure·ness, noun

Usage note

Both sure and surely are used as intensifying adverbs with the sense “undoubtedly, certainly.” In this use, sure is generally informal and occurs mainly in speech and written representations of speech: She sure dazzled the audience with her acceptance speech. It was sure hot enough in the auditorium. Surely is used in this sense in all varieties of speech and writing, even the most formal: The court ruled that the law was surely meant to apply to both profit-making and nonprofit organizations. See also quick, slow.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sure

“They sure took the Sony thing seriously,” Attkisson said dryly.
Ex-CBS Reporter Sharyl Attkisson’s Battle Royale With the Feds|Lloyd Grove|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I like the idea of Jon Hamm… There have been discussions—though I'm not sure how serious they've been.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
To be sure, Jefferson did share the credit, but not in the way such a resolution might be interpreted.
Forget the Resolutions; Try a Few Declarations|Kevin Bleyer|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But people have always liked, and will like, the idea of a “sure thing.”
The Fiery Death of Sotto Sotto, Toronto’s Celebrity Hotspot|Shinan Govani|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Not sure if you noticed, but 2014 has been a banner year for animal robots.
Meet Our Animal Robot Overlords|James Joiner|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To be sure, there were some ashes and a little dirt in the soup, but that was not regarded as important.
Blackfeet Indian Stories|George Bird Grinnell
I'm sure I don't know why Miss Vavasor should care about my seeing her.
Can You Forgive Her?|Anthony Trollope
Sure of the result, he pressed with his finger tips upon the lower end of that short piece of board.
Murder at Bridge|Anne Austin
And to be sure when a man rises from the dead thus uninvited—your brother was the sole heir of our late master!
The Robbers|Friedrich Schiller
"She sure does get into evil ways, sometimes," added Jim, laughingly.
Five Little Starrs in the Canadian Forest|Lillian Elizabeth Roy

British Dictionary definitions for sure

sure

/ (ʃʊə, ʃɔː) /

adjective

(sometimes foll by of) free from hesitancy or uncertainty (with regard to a belief, conviction, etc)we are sure of the accuracy of the data; I am sure that he is lying

(foll by of) having no doubt, as of the occurrence of a future state or eventsure of success

always effective; unfailinga sure remedy

reliable in indication or accuracya sure criterion

(of persons) worthy of trust or confidencea sure friend

not open to doubtsure proof

admitting of no vacillation or doubthe is very sure in his beliefs

bound to be or occur; inevitablevictory is sure

(postpositive) bound inevitably (to be or do something); certainshe is sure to be there tonight

physically secure or dependablea sure footing

obsolete free from exposure to harm or danger

be sure (usually imperative or dependent imperative; takes a clause as object or an infinitive, sometimes with to replaced by and) to be careful or certainbe sure and shut the door; I told him to be sure to shut the door

for sure without a doubt; surely

make sure

(takes a clause as object) to make certain; ensure
(foll by of) to establish or confirm power or possession (over)

sure enough informal as might have been confidently expected; definitely: often used as a sentence substitute

to be sure

without doubt; certainly
it has to be acknowledged; admittedly

adverb

(sentence substitute) informal willingly; yes

(sentence modifier) informal, mainly US and Canadian without question; certainly

Derived Formssureness, noun

Word Origin for sure

C14: from Old French seur, from Latin sēcūrus secure

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

Word Origin and History for sure

sure

adj.

c.1300, "safe, secure," later "mentally certain" (mid-15c.), from Old French sur, seur "safe, secure," from Latin securus "free from care, untroubled, heedless, safe" (see secure (adj.)). Pronunciation development followed that of sugar. As an affirmative meaning "yes, certainly" it dates from 1803, from Middle English meanings "firmly established; having no doubt," and phrases like to be sure (1650s), sure enough (1540s), and for sure (1580s). The use as a qualifier meaning "assuredly" goes back to early 15c. Sure-footed is from 1630s; sure thing dates from 1836. In 16c.-17c., Suresby was an appellation for a person to be depended upon.

Idioms and Phrases with sure

sure

In addition to the idioms beginning with sure

sure as shooting
sure cure
sure enough
sure of oneself
sure thing

also see:

for certain (sure)
make sure
slow but sure
to be sure

sure

adjective, sur·er, sur·est.

adverb

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of sure

Usage note

Examples from the Web for sure

sure

adjective

adverb

Word Origin for sure

sure

sure