sure

[ shoor, shur ]

/ ʃʊər, ʃɜr /

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See synonyms for: sure / surest / sureness 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.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

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Idioms about sure

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

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sur(e), from Middle French sur,Old French seur, from Latin sēcūrus “carefree”; see secure

words often confused with sure

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.

OTHER WORDS FROM sure

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

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use sure in a sentence

The Descendants (which scored six nominations) was a surer thing, but it, too, has been divisive.
Oscar Nominations 2012: 11 Snubs and Surprises|Jacob Bernstein|January 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
She felt surer, earlier in life than many in her demographic, that the marriage stakes were high enough to merit risking all.
Give Up on Mr. Perfect?|Liesl Schillinger|February 1, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Yet Powell now sounds much surer of herself than the lost woman whom we find in the early pages of Cleaving.
Of Meat and Men|Rachel Kramer Bussel|December 3, 2009|DAILY BEAST
This bone-chilling week, they are perhaps just a surer way to avoid frostbite.
But Can We Still Have Fun?|Kathleen Parker|January 19, 2009|DAILY BEAST

Ain't no surer sign o' poor soil than a passel o' mullein stalks.
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond
There is no surer mark of vulgarity than over dressing or gay dressing in the street.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
Justice is surer and swifter in England, and as a consequence crime averages less than in most parts of the States.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
It would be convenient to feel a little surer just now, for evidently I shall need it all very soon.
The Daughters of Danaus|Mona Caird
It is a fact, not perhaps complimentary, that paper tablets are surer than the tablets of memory.
English: Composition and Literature|W. F. (William Franklin) Webster

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 forms of sure

sureness, 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

Other 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

Idioms about sure

Origin of sure

words often confused with sure

OTHER WORDS FROM sure

Words related to sure

How to use sure in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sure

Derived forms of sure

Word Origin for sure

Other Idioms and Phrases with sure