surely

adverb sure·ly \ ˈshu̇r-lē , especially Southern ˈshȯr- \

Definition of surely

1 :in a sure manner:

a archaic :without danger or risk of injury or loss :safely

b (1) :with assurance :confidently

answered quickly and surely

(2) :without doubt :certainly

they will surely be heard from in the future
—R. J. Lifton

2 :indeed, really —often used as an intensive

you surely don't believe that

See surely defined for English-language learners

See surely defined for kids

sure vs. surely

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

Examples of surely in a Sentence

She answered quickly and surely.
He will surely be missed.
This is surely the best dessert you have ever made.
Surely you must admit that it was a good decision.

Recent Examples of surely from the Web

What the Health, then this pizza will surely kill you.

— steffi victorioso, Los Angeles Magazine, "Every Pizza at Pizzanista!, Ranked," 23 Aug. 2017
Then again, Gendry could just be there to swing his war hammer (inspired, surely, by the one his father swung back in the day) on the side of right in the Great War to Come.

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "Game of Thrones: This Tiny Detail Could Be the Real Reason Gendry’s Back," 13 Aug. 2017
The food at each festival was surely delicious, but relations between the towns have turned sour.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Two Pierogi Festivals Face Off Over Trademark," 8 Aug. 2017
Now that Arya is back at Winterfell, surely Jon will draft his capable little sister (er, cousin) into the fight against the White Walkers.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Game of Thrones: Will Arya’s New Weapon Take Down the Night King?," 6 Aug. 2017
The gate agents will surely thank you for making their jobs even more difficult.

— sidra monreal, CNT, "The Worst Airline Passengers, According to a Former Gate Agent," 31 July 2017
And transgender people don't want to u/Miseryy: Surely there must be some false positives, and then what?

— brittney mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "Experts Answer Reddit Questions About Transgender People," 28 July 2017
With a more competent, more popular Republican president, some kind of agreement almost surely could have been brokered.

— alexandra desanctis, National Review, "Trump Is to Blame for the GOP Health-Care Debacle," 28 July 2017
Surely in a rich history that dates to 1860, The Open, played in England and Scotland, has been a stage for many lads from Glasgow.

— jeff babineau, The Courier-Journal, "Glasgow's Kent Bulle powers his way into mix at British Open," 21 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'surely.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.