sure thing

American  

noun

1. something that is or is supposed to be a certain success, as a bet or a business venture.

   He thinks that real estate is a sure thing.

2. something assured; certainty.

   It's a sure thing that he'll refuse to cooperate.

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interjection

1. surely; for sure; O.K.

sure thing British  

adverb

1. (sentence substitute) all right! yes indeed! used to express enthusiastic assent

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noun

1. something guaranteed to be successful

sure thing Idioms  

1. a sure thing . A certainty, as in Making the bestseller list has been a sure thing for Stephen King . This usage originally alluded to a bet that one could not lose. [First half of 1800s]

2. Yes indeed, certainly, as in Are you coming tonight?—Sure thing! This use of the idiom as an interjection dates from the late 1800s.

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Etymology

Origin of sure thing

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Example Sentences

Mauigoa is a sure thing as a Day 1 starter at right tackle and the Dolphins can move Austin Jackson to right guard for a season.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

A military attempt to open the waterway is no sure thing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Pivoting to nonprofit work isn’t a sure thing, because there’s now less funding for many organizations.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

So, is a SpaceX-Tesla merger a sure thing?

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

I thought ’bout the luck of the Bobos and seent that no matter how good I planned things out, it was probably a sure thing that this was gonna go bad for me real fast.

From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis