sure 1 of 2

1
2
3
as in reliable
not likely to fail a sure cure for the winter blues—a week in the Bahamas

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5

sure

2 of 2

adverb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective sure contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sure are certain, cocksure, and positive. While all these words mean "having no doubt or uncertainty," sure usually stresses the subjective or intuitive feeling of assurance.

felt sure that I had forgotten something

When is certain a more appropriate choice than sure?

In some situations, the words certain and sure are roughly equivalent. However, 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

When would cocksure be a good substitute for sure?

The words cocksure and sure can be used in similar contexts, but cocksure implies presumptuous or careless positiveness.

you're always so cocksure about everything

Where would positive be a reasonable alternative to sure?

The synonyms positive and sure are sometimes interchangeable, but positive intensifies sureness or certainty and may imply opinionated conviction or forceful expression of it.

I'm positive that's the person I saw

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sure
Adjective
On its current trajectory, the surest promise that generative AI offers is not creating new originators, but massively scaling up the production of derivative art. Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 17 June 2025 Superintendent Yvonne Stokes said the district still isn’t sure of the impact. Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025
Adverb
Of course, that’s a conversation for the fall (though the weather in Minneapolis and Detroit this week sure feels like playoff weather). Zack Meisel, New York Times, 22 May 2025 And if anybody thinks things get easier now that the Celtics have been booted all the way to next season must have missed what the Pacers just did to the Cavaliers, whose regular season sure was better than Boston’s. Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for sure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sure
Adjective
  • From there, the team set about making Victor feel comfortable and confident as both a filmmaker and a performer.
    Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
  • Actually, confident isn’t extreme enough of a word.
    Andy Swift, TVLine, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Employees must continually understand their highest-level priorities and make necessary adjustments as needed.
    Tony Gambill, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
  • At that point, intravenous infusion of liquids, including electrolytes, multivitamins, glucose, and potassium, will be immediately necessary.
    Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • The entire production throughput is becoming faster and more reliable.
    Pradeep Govindasamy, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
  • Advertisement To put all that in context, recall that Black voters are the most reliable members of the Democratic coalition and the Black Church is the only reason these numbers aren’t even worse.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • Ever-so true to Telfar’s roots: community-driven, unpredictable, and built on radical accessibility.
    Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 20 June 2025
  • Brown, the top returning rusher in the league (1,173 yards as a true freshman), will be running behind an offensive line that returns only one starter.
    Manny Navarro, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • The series had a rather shocking ending, and in some ways, seemed pretty conclusive.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • Those observations proved less conclusive than had been hoped, but during the rest of the voyage, Cook was able to map the coastland of New Zealand before sailing west to the southeastern coast of Australia—the first record of Europeans on the continent's Eastern coastline.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 June 2025
Adverb
  • The Green Party candidate may have been responsible for Clinton losing in 2016 - and Ralph Nader was definitely responsible for Gore losing in 2000 (Nader won about 90K votes in Florida, most of which would have gone to Gore who lost state by fewer than 600 votes).
    Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
  • With today being the first official day of summer, things are definitely heating up.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • That kind of cultural appropriation might be sanctioned at certain times.
    Jack Smart, People.com, 21 June 2025
  • And, both the House of Representatives and the Senate propose increasing the $600 reporting threshold for independent contractors or certain other payments reported on Form 1099-NEC to $2,000, adjusted for inflation.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • For years, our young, living in shelters, couch surfing and living on the edge, always surrounded by violence, have been conditioned to believe that prison and early death were their inevitable future.
    Asha Bandele, Essence, 25 June 2025
  • Early adopters can provide critical feedback that shapes your product while demonstrating enough technical aptitude to work through inevitable early-stage bugs and limitations.
    Adi Bathla, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sure. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on sure

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!