guess
verb (used with object)
to arrive at or commit oneself to an opinion about (something) without having sufficient evidence to support the opinion fully.
were guessing
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past progressiveof guess.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
If I were guessing I would think she edited literary novels or was a professor of French poetry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2025
If I were guessing, then I would have only a 25 percent chance of getting two correct answers in a row.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 1, 2023
While all of Los Angeles was screaming for his job, while the NFL experts were guessing about his replacement, while Sean Payton’s phone was buzzing through Manhattan Beach, Staley was preparing for this press conference.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 18, 2023
Not bad if you were guessing at random, but not great for taking a stab at a top 10 list that was 80 percent the same as in 2019.
From Slate ● Nov. 8, 2021
Already people were guessing how long it was.*
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
