surmise

[ser-mahyz, ser-mahyz, sur-mahyz]

verb (used with object)

surmised, surmising 

1. to think or infer without certain or strong evidence; conjecture; guess.

   Synonyms: suspect, suppose, imagine

verb (used without object)

surmised, surmising 

1. to conjecture or guess.

noun

1. a matter of conjecture.

2. an idea or thought of something as being possible or likely.

3. a conjecture or opinion.

surmise

verb

1. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to infer (something) from incomplete or uncertain evidence

noun

1. an idea inferred from inconclusive evidence

Other Word Forms

• surmisable adjective
• surmisedly adverb
• surmiser noun
• unsurmised adjective
• unsurmising adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of surmise¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English surmisen, from Anglo-French surmis(e), Middle French “accused,” past participle of surmettre “to accuse,” from Latin supermittere “to throw upon,” from super super- + mittere “to let go, send”

Word History and Origins

Origin of surmise¹

C15: from Old French, from surmettre to accuse, from Latin supermittere to throw over, from _super- + mittere to send

Synonym Study

See guess.

Example Sentences

He surmised that "Epstein knew a lot about taxes".

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But if you showed the average Chicagoan the evidence now in the public domain, most would likely surmise that Mr. Homan took a bribe.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

We can certainly understand that she’s supposed to come off as ardent and unyielding, even surmising that she’s unsure of how to love anyone else because of how improperly she’s been loved herself.

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In other words, many managers surmised, if you can gauge it, you can improve upon it.

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One can surmise that this political shortsightedness also makes him bridle at believing that Trumpism is fascist, or that conservatism can morph into fascism.

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Related Words

• deduce 
• hypothesize 
• infer 
• opine 
• presume 
• pretend 
• speculate 
• theorize