English Explanatory Dictionary

sure

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Physically secure and certain, non-failing, reliable.
  2. Certain in one's knowledge or belief.
  3. Certain to act or be a specified way.
  4. Free from danger; safe; secure.
  5. Betrothed; engaged to marry.
adv
  1. Without doubt, certainly.
  2. Without fail, surely.
intj
  1. Yes; of course.
  2. Yes; I guess; you could say that; a weak or noncommittal positive response.
  3. You're welcome; polite response to being thanked.

Pronunciation

/ʃɔː/ /ʃʊə/ /ʃoː/ /ʃʊɹ/ /ʃɝ/ /ʃɔɹ/ en-us-sure.ogg en-us-sure2.ogg /ʃuɚ/ /ʃoʊ/ /ʃʉɾ/ [ʃʉːɾ] /ʃʉɹ/ /ˈʃuːɹ/ /sjʊəɹ/ /sjuːɹ/ /sɪʊ̯ɹ/

Word forms

sure surer surest sho sho' more sure most sure

Etymology

From Middle English sure, seur, sur, from Middle French sur or Old French seür, from Latin sēcūrus (“secure”, literally “carefree”), from sē- (“apart”) + cūra (“care”) (compare Old English orsorg (“carefree”), from or- (“without”) + sorg (“care”)). See cure. Doublet of secure and the now obsolete or dialectal sicker (“certain, safe”). Displaced native Middle English wis, iwis (“certain, sure”) (from Old English ġewis, ġewiss (“certain, sure”)), as well as Middle English siker (“sure, secure”) (from Old English sicor (“secure, sure”)) with which it was cognate.

Synonyms

certain failsafe reliable sicker positive wis OK yes of course

Related words

assure ensure insure

Derived words

are you sure you're sure as sure as eggs are eggs as sure as eggs is eggs cock-sure cocksure damn sure footsure for sure I'm sure make sure oversure self-sure slow but sure wins the race snowsure sure as a gun sure as death sure as death and taxes sure as eggs sure as eggs are eggs sure as eggs is eggs sure as fate sure as hell sure as shit sure as shooting sure as sugar sure as taxes sure as the sun is going to come up tomorrow sure as the sun is going to come up tomorrow morning sure as the sun is going to rise tomorrow sure as the sun is going to rise tomorrow morning sure as the world sureball sure bet sure-enough sure enough sure-fire surefooted sure-footed sure-footedness sure hand at the tiller sure-handed sure-handedly sure-handedness sure hand on the tiller surely sureness sure of oneself sureseater sure thing surety sure up to be sure unsure unsured

Translations

Hungarian: mindenképpen Bulgarian: разбира се Finnish: toki Finnish: vaikka French: d'accord Polish: pewnie Polish: jasne Polish: spoko
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