surmise
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a matter of conjecture.
-
an idea or thought of something as being possible or likely.
-
a conjecture or opinion.
verb
noun
Related Words
See guess.
Other Word Forms
- surmisable adjective
- surmisedly adverb
- surmiser noun
- unsurmised adjective
- unsurmising adjective
Etymology
Origin of surmise
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”
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.
We don’t really know who Isidora was: We can surmise that she was, most likely, the wife of a man of means, of high but not regal status.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
Yet, with how much time these commenters seem to have to seek out unemployment announcements, one has to surmise that internet trolls aren’t exactly the most gainfully employed members of society themselves.
From Salon • Oct. 7, 2025
But when the lights dimmed for a film tribute to Scott Sanders, even a stranger could surmise that the man of the hour was no ordinary office jockey.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2025
As my colleague Paul Roberts reported, experts in the retail sector surmise that North Face’s decision was a consequence of local challenges and the larger problems in the outdoor clothing sector.
From Seattle Times • May 24, 2024
But we can use our imagination; we can look upon what he subsequently did and surmise.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
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.
