sure

¹sure

adj \ˈshu̇r, especially Southern ˈshȯr\

sur·ersur·est

Definition of SURE

1

obsolete : safe from danger or harm

2

: firmly established : steadfast <a sure hold>

3

: reliable, trustworthy <a sure friend>

4

a : marked by or given to feelings of confident certainty <I'm sure I'm right> b : characterized by a lack of wavering or hesitation <sure brush strokes> <a sure hand>

5

: admitting of no doubt : indisputable <spoke from sure knowledge>

6

a : bound to happen : inevitable <sure disaster> b : bound, destined <is sure to win>

7

: careful to remember, attend to, or find out something <be sure to lock the door>

— sure·ness noun

— for sure

: without doubt or question : certainly

— to be sure

: it must be acknowledged : admittedly

Examples of SURE

1. She's not sure who will be there.
2. Are you sure you want to go?
3. Are you sure about that?
4. She'll be there, I'm sure of it.
5. Are you sure of the results?
6. The return of the robins is a sure sign of spring.
7. The letter is a sure indication that she cares.
8. Pizza is a sure crowd pleaser.
9. The surest way to lose weight is with diet and exercise.
10. One sure way to improve your health is to stop smoking.

Origin of SURE

Middle English seur, sure, from Anglo-French seur, from Latin securus secure

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to SURE

Synonyms: assured, clear, cocksure, confident, doubtless, implicit, positive, sanguine, certain

Antonyms: doubtful, dubious, uncertain, unsure

Related Words: self-assured, self-conceited, self-confident; decisive, resolute, unfaltering, unhesitating, unquestioning, unwavering

Near Antonyms: hesitant, indecisive, vacillating, wavering; diffident, unassuming

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of SURE

sure, certain, positive, cocksure mean having no doubt or uncertainty. sure usually stresses the subjective or intuitive feeling of assurance <felt sure that I had forgotten something>. certain may apply to a basing of a conclusion or conviction on definite grounds or indubitable evidence <police are certain about the cause of the fire>. positive intensifies sureness or certainty and may imply opinionated conviction or forceful expression of it <I'm positive that's the person I saw>. cocksure implies presumptuous or careless positiveness <you're always so cocksure about everything>.

Rhymes with SURE

Boer, boor, cure, dour, fewer, lure, moor, Moor, Muir, poor, pure, Ruhr, sewer, skewer, spoor, stour, tour, Tours, your