surefire

[ shoo r-fahyuh r, shur- ]

/ ˈʃʊərˌfaɪər, ˈʃɜr- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR surefire ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

sure to work; foolproof: a surefire moneymaking scheme.

Nearby words

sure thing, sure-enough, sure-fire, sure-footed, sure-handed, surefire, surefooted, surely, surety, suretyship, surf

Origin of surefire

First recorded in 1915–20; sure + fire

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

Examples from the Web for sure-fire

After all, there is only one sure-fire message that I can send by putting a Coexist sticker on the back of my car.
COEXIST’s Bonehead Bumper-Sticker Politics|Michael Schulson|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Founders had a sure-fire way to get out the vote: get out the booze.
Founding Fathers Loved Drunk Voters|Kevin Bleyer|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A sure-fire draft pick turned into a 50-50 chance, and then a suspenseful wait through the final rounds of the NFL draft.
Michael Sam Makes NFL History At Last|Robert Silverman|May 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Crystal is always a sure-fire talk-show guest and he proved an ideal choice.
Jay Leno Cries It Out|Tom Shales|February 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Implemented at a national scale, fiat pricing does not seem to be a sure-fire strategy for holding down cost growth.
Can the Government Control Health Care Costs By Fiat|Megan McArdle|March 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Pratts Lice Salve is a sure-fire lice killer in another form.
Pratt's Practical Pointers on the Care of Livestock and Poultry|Pratt Food Co.
Even the apparently "sure-fire" one may deliver a disturbing kick to its perpetrator.
Public Speaking|Clarence Stratton
"Sure-fire hit," Mr. Rooney pronounced, as he spat on the stage floor behind the curtain.
Blue-grass and Broadway|Maria Thompson Daviess
He could picture her glutinous satisfaction as she re-read her scenario and gloated over its sure-fire qualities.
The Girl on the Boat|Pelham Grenville Wodehouse
It's a sure-fire cinch she'll never give you one of them salutes she hints at when she comes home ef she knows you backed out.
Rimrock Trail|J. Allan Dunn

British Dictionary definitions for sure-fire

sure-fire

adjective

(usually prenominal) informal certain to succeed or meet expectations; assured

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-fire

surefire

adj.

also sure-fire, by 1864, American English, from sure + fire (v.). Originally of rifles.

surefire

adjective

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sure-fire

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surefire

surefire

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sure-fire

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