sure

1 of 2

adjective

ˈshu̇r How to pronounce sure (audio)
ˈshər,
 especially Southern  ˈshȯr
surer; surest
1
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
2
: admitting of no doubt : indisputable
spoke from sure knowledge
3
a
: bound, destined
is sure to win
b
: bound to happen : inevitable
sure disaster
4
: careful to remember, attend to, or find out something
be sure to lock the door
5
: firmly established : steadfast
a sure hold
6
: reliable, trustworthy
a sure friend
7
obsolete : safe from danger or harm
sureness noun

sure

2 of 2

adverb

: surely
Sure vs. Surely: Usage Guide

Most commentators consider the adverb sure to be something less than completely standard; surely is usually recommended as a substitute. Our current evidence shows, however, that sure and surely have become differentiated in use. Sure is used in much more informal contexts than surely. It is used as a simple intensive

I can never know how much I bored her, but, be certain, she sure amused me Norman Mailer

and, because it connotes strong affirmation, it is used when the speaker or writer expects to be agreed with.

it's a moot point whether politicians are less venal than in Twain's day. But they're sure as the devil more intrusive Alan Abelson
he sure gets them to play D. S. Looney

Surely, like sure, is used as a simple intensive

I surely don't want to leave the impression that I had an unhappy childhood E. C. Welsh

but it occurs in more formal contexts than sure. Unlike sure it may be used neutrally—the reader or hearer may or may not agree

it would surely be possible, within a few years, to program a computer to construct a grammar Noam Chomsky

and it is often used when the writer is trying to persuade.

surely a book on the avant-garde cannot be so conventional Karl Shapiro

Phrases
for sure
: without doubt or question : certainly
to be sure
: it must be acknowledged : admittedly
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of sure in a Sentence

Adjective She's not sure who will be there. Are you sure you want to go? Are you sure about that? She'll be there, I'm sure of it. Are you sure of the results? The return of the robins is a sure sign of spring. The letter is a sure indication that she cares. Pizza is a sure crowd pleaser. The surest way to lose weight is with diet and exercise. One sure way to improve your health is to stop smoking. Adverb we sure could use your help here
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
And today, a sure audiophile decision is choosing Aurender as one’s digital streaming component. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 Moreover, because the performance involves a significant degree of improvisation on the part of the actor at the other end of the phone line, there is no way to say for sure that what happened to me will also happen to you. Kristen Roupenian, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024 Did Rick Rubin change your life? For sure, just by believing in me. Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 20 Mar. 2024 Mystery around what causes long COVID Scientists are not sure what causes long COVID but have identified risk factors including having underlying conditions or experiencing multi-system inflammatory syndrome due to COVID. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2024 With Joel Coen and Ethan Coen making heavy use of storyboarding and light on giving direction to their actors, Walsh wasn’t sure what to make of the fledgling filmmakers. Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024 One sure way to improve affordability is to increase the availability of apartments to rent and homes to buy. Anna Bahney, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024 As a sure sign of spring, cherry blossoms hit peak bloom on one of the earliest dates on record Sunday as temperatures reached the 70s for the fifth time in six days. Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 An estimated 31 million Americans already live on the path, while millions more tourists are already making travel plans – sure to snarl traffic – to catch a glimpse of what is sure to be a spectacular sight, according to eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler at GreatAmericanEclipse.com. USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Adverb
They sure didn’t look fazed by the big stage in their 62-35 wire-to-wire win over No. 6 Horizon. Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2024 For a cargo plane, the Venezuelan Boeing 747 has sure had a controversial history. Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Photograph: Rivian Yes, things sure have changed—for Rivian and for the world—since the automaker debuted in the US in 2021 and recorded the largest IPO the stock market had seen in seven years. Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2024 Niall Horan and Shawn Mendes sure know how to put on a show. Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 Oh, and the Falcons, with league MVP Matt Ryan and Co., sure were impressive on both sides of the ball for nearly three quarters before their epic collapse. Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Brendan Luddy sure was ready, out scoring an entire Baltimore County team by himself. Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2024 Hard is such a relative term, but some posters pointed out that having older children sure does have some benefits. Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 13 Feb. 2024 Why is there baseless speculation swirling that the Super Bowl will be rigged for the Chiefs to win? Conspiracy theorist and one-time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy sure thinks so. William Earl, Variety, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sure was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near sure

Cite this Entry

“Sure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sure. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sure

1 of 2 adjective
ˈshu̇(ə)r How to pronounce sure (audio)
 especially Southern  ˈshō(ə)r
1
: firmly established : steadfast
a sure hold
2
: reliable, trustworthy
a sure friend
3
: having no doubt : confident
I'm sure I'm right
4
: not to be doubted : certain
sure evidence
5
a
: bound to happen : inevitable
sure disaster
b
: bound as if by fate
we are sure to win
sureness noun

sure

2 of 2 adverb
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English seur, sure "safe from danger or harm," from early French seur (same meaning), from securus "secure" — related to secure

More from Merriam-Webster on sure

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