sure-enough
adjective
real; genuine.
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sure-enough
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sure enough
sure enoughActually, as one might have thought, as in Sure enough, the plane was three hours late. [Mid-1500s]
sure-enough
American
[shoor-i-nuhf, shur-]
/ ˈʃʊər ɪˈnʌf, ˈʃɜr- /
adjective
Older Use.
sure enough
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of sure-enough
First recorded in 1535–45
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:
A slender amputation case in a lower, still staring through the window into the dark countryside, said: 'I knew a real sure-enough model' and went on in detail about her.
From Time Magazine Archive
Teacher Anthony is a sure-enough sculptor who has studied under Carl Milles, works not only in soap but in wood, bronze, stone.
From Time Magazine Archive
They seem to be straining every nerve to convince you that they are done with flippant irrelevancies, that this time they are in deadly earnest, writing a sure-enough mystery story.
From Time Magazine Archive
James Caesar Petrillo declared that it was a sure-enough, wage-earning musical instrument, and that professional harmonica players would have to join his musicians' union.
From Time Magazine Archive
"Well, that is a sure-enough sermon and a pretty good one, too," said MacLester, quite soberly.
From The Auto Boys' Quest by James A. (James Andrew) Braden
And, sure enough, the S&P 500’s average return following past first cuts was lower than following first hikes.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
And sure enough, that scholarship came to the court, and the court cited it, and most of it has been debunked and disproven, but it’s the law anyway.
From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026
Aeon, the Japanese retailer operating the mall, had boasted that the rebuilt structure was designed for resilience in quakes—and sure enough, it withstood the violent shaking this time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Ramsey knew what was about to happen and, sure enough, Raphinha coolly took a touch and fired the ball past a helpless Aaron Ramsdale.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
Experimenting, he ran the blade along the tree, and sure enough, the barest cut separated the wood like it was slicing bread.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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.
