sure

1 of 2

adjective

ˈshu̇r 

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

Synonyms

Adjective

• assured
• certain
• clear
• cocksure
• confident
• doubtless
• implicit
• positive
• sanguine

Adverb

• all right
• alright
• assuredly
• certainly
• clearly
• definitely
• doubtless
• easily
• forsooth
• hands down
• inarguably
• incontestably
• incontrovertibly
• indeed
• indisputably
• plainly
• really
• so
• surely
• truly
• unarguably
• undeniably
• undoubtedly
• unquestionably

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

Martin himself isn’t even sure what to make of it, deflecting questions about his ascent with equal parts self-deprecating digs and deer-in-headlights astonishment. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024

Too long to satisfy those who would rather justice be swift than sure. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024

This is another maxi dress that’s sure to make a statement, thanks to shimmering gold embroidery and a thigh-high side slit. —Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024

Tannin Manor’s upper level contains three more bedrooms, a couple of balconies and an expansive playroom sure to keep the kids busy. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2024

And the Fed is well-placed from a macroeconomic policy standpoint to be absolutely sure that inflation is down for good. —Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024

Can the Cougars and Beavers afford to relinquish their flexibility with the landscape evolving rapidly (as discussed above) and nobody sure of the end result? —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024

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

Adverb

Pranks in the April Fools’ Day spirit sure hit differently back then. —Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024

The Swiss bank will come away with a nice windfall from the deal, but its newer subsidiary Credit Suisse sure won’t. —Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024

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

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

Phrases Containing sure

• a sure thing
• sure-footed
• sure enough
• sure bet
• sure of oneself
• sure-handed
• sure thing
• a good/safe/sure bet
• one thing is (for) sure
• (as) sure as I'm standing here
• be sure
• make sure
• good/safe/sure bet
• for sure
• yeah, sure
• sure as hell
• to be sure

Kids Definition

sure

1 of 2 adjective

ˈshu̇(ə)r 

 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

1

: surely sense 1b

2

: surely sense 2

Etymology

Adjective

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