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sure (sh r, shûr)adj. sur·er, sur·est 1. Impossible to doubt or dispute; certain. 2. Not hesitating or wavering; firm: sure convictions. 3. Confident, as of something awaited or expected: sure of ultimate victory. 4. a. Bound to come about or happen; inevitable: sure defeat. b. Having one's course directed; destined or bound: sure to succeed. 5. Certain not to miss or err; steady: a sure hand on the throttle. 6. a. Worthy of being trusted or depended on; reliable. b. Free from or marked by freedom from doubt: sure of her friends. 7. Careful to do something: asked me to be sure to turn off the stove. 8. Obsolete Free from harm or danger; safe. adv. Informal Surely; certainly. Idioms: for sure Informal Certainly; unquestionably: We'll win for sure. make sure To establish something without doubt; make certain: Make sure he writes it down. sure enough As one might have expected; certainly. to be sure Indeed; certainly.
[Middle English, from Old French, safe, from Latin s c rus; see secure.]
sure ness n. Synonyms: sure, certain, confident, positive These adjectives mean feeling or showing no doubt. Sure and certain are frequently used interchangeably; sure, however, is the more subjective term, whereas certain may imply belief based on experience or evidence: "Never teach a child anything of which you are not yourself sure" (John Ruskin). "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes" (Benjamin Franklin). Confident suggests assurance founded on faith or reliance in oneself or in others: The senator is confident of reelection. Positive suggests full, emphatic certainty: The prosecutor had positive proof of the defendant's guilt. See Also Synonyms at certain. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Adv. | 1. | sure enough - as supposed or expected; "sure enough, he asked her for money again" | | 2. | sure enough - definitely or positively (`sure' is sometimes used informally for `surely'); "the results are surely encouraging"; "she certainly is a hard worker"; "it's going to be a good day for sure"; "they are coming, for certain"; "they thought he had been killed sure enough"; "he'll win sure as shooting"; "they sure smell good"; "sure he'll come"colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech |
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