Adjacent Words

Sure definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SURE, a. shure. [L. assevero, and to be connected with swear, and perhaps with L. verus; s being the remains of a prefix.]
1. Certain; unfailing; infallible.
The testimony of the Lord is sure. Psalms 19.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy. 2 Peter 1.
2. Certainly knowing, or having full confidence.
We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth-- Romans 2.
Now we are sure that thou knowest all things. John 16.
3. Certain; safe; firm; permanent.
Thy kingdom shall be sure to thee. Daniel 4.
4. Firm; stable; steady; not liable to failure, loss or change; as a sure covenant. 1 Samuel 23. Nehemiah 9. Isaiah 28.
The Lord will make my lord a sure house. 2 Samuel 25.
So we say, to stand sure, to be sure of foot.
5. Certain of obtaining or of retaining; as, to be sure of game; to be sure of success; to be sure of life or health.
6. Strong; secure; not liable to be broken or disturbed.
Go your way, make it as sure as ye can. Math.27.
7. Certain; not liable to failure. The income is sure.
To be sure, or be sure, certainly. Shall you go? be sure I shall.
To make sure, to make certain; to secure so that there can be no failure of the purpose or object.
Make sure of Cato.
A peace cannot fail, provided we make sure of Spain.
Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure. 2 Peter 1.
SURE, adv. Certainly; without doubt; doubtless.
Sure the queen would wish him still unknown.
[But in this sense, surely is more generally used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured; "felt certain of success"; "was sure (or certain) she had seen it"; "was very sure in his beliefs"; "sure of her friends" [syn: certain, sure] [ant: incertain, uncertain, unsure]
2: exercising or taking care great enough to bring assurance; "be certain to disconnect the iron when you are through"; "be sure to lock the doors" [syn: certain, sure]
3: certain to occur; destined or inevitable; "he was certain to fail"; "his fate is certain"; "In this life nothing is certain but death and taxes"- Benjamin Franklin; "he faced certain death"; "sudden but sure regret"; "he is sure to win" [syn: certain, sure] [ant: uncertain]
4: physically secure or dependable; "a sure footing"; "was on sure ground"
5: reliable in operation or effect; "a quick and certain remedy"; "a sure way to distinguish the two"; "wood dust is a sure sign of termites" [syn: certain, sure]
6: (of persons) worthy of trust or confidence; "a sure (or trusted) friend" [syn: sure, trusted]
7: infallible or unfailing; "a sure (or true) sign of one's commitment"
8: certain not to fail; "a sure hand on the throttle"
9: impossible to doubt or dispute; "indisputable (or sure) proof" [syn: indisputable, sure] adv
1: 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" [syn: surely, certainly, sure, for sure, for certain, sure enough, sure as shooting]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective (surer; surest) Etymology: Middle English seur, sure, from Anglo-French seur, from Latin securus secure Date: 13th century 1. obsolete safe from danger or harm 2. firmly established ; steadfast <a sure hold> 3. reliable, trustworthy <a sure friend> 4. 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> 5. admitting of no doubt ; indisputable <spoke from sure knowledge> 6. a. bound to happen ; inevitable <sure disaster> b. bound, destined <is sure to win> 7. careful to remember, attend to, or find out something <be sure to lock the door> • sureness noun Synonyms: 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>. II. adverb Date: 14th century surely Usage: 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>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & adv. --adj. 1 having or seeming to have adequate reason for a belief or assertion. 2 (often foll. by of, or that + clause) convinced. 3 (foll. by of) having a certain prospect or confident anticipation or satisfactory knowledge of. 4 reliable or unfailing (there is one sure way to find out). 5 (foll. by to + infin.) certain. 6 undoubtedly true or truthful. --adv. colloq. certainly. Phrases and idioms: as sure as eggs is eggs see EGG(1). as sure as fate quite certain. be sure (in imper. or infin.; foll. by that + clause or to + infin.) take care to; not fail to (be sure to turn the lights out). for sure colloq. without doubt. make sure 1 make or become certain; ensure. 2 (foll. by of) establish the truth or ensure the existence or happening of. sure enough colloq. 1 in fact; certainly. 2 with near certainty (they will come sure enough). sure-fire colloq. certain to succeed. sure-footed never stumbling or making a mistake. sure-footedly in a sure-footed way. sure-footedness being sure-footed. sure thing int. esp. US colloq. certainly. to be sure 1 it is undeniable or admitted. 2 it must be admitted. Derivatives: sureness n. Etymology: ME f. OF sur sure (earlier s{euml}ur) f. L securus SECURE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sure Sure, adv. In a sure manner; safely; certainly. ``Great, sure, shall be thy meed.'' --Spenser. 'T is pleasant, sure, to see one's name in print. --Byron.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sure Sure, a. [Compar. Surer; superl. Surest.] [OE. sur, OF. se["u]r, F. s[^u]r, L. securus; se aside, without + cura care. See Secure, and cf. Assure, Insure, Sicker sure.] 1. Certainly knowing and believing; confident beyond doubt; implicity trusting; unquestioning; positive. We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. --Rom. ii. 2. I'm sure care 's an enemy of life. --Shak. 2. Certain to find or retain; as, to be sure of game; to be sure of success; to be sure of life or health. 3. Fit or worthy to be depended on; certain not to fail or disappoint expectation; unfailing; strong; permanent; enduring. ``His sure word.'' --Keble. The Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord. --1 Sam. xxv. 28. The testimony of the Lord is sure. --Ps. xix. 7. Which put in good sure leather sacks. --Chapman. 4. Betrothed; engaged to marry. [Obs.] The king was sure to Dame Elizabeth Lucy, and her husband before God. --Sir T. More. I presume . . . that you had been sure as fast as faith could bind you, man and wife. --Brome. 5. Free from danger; safe; secure. Fear not; the forest is not three leagues off; If we recover that we are sure enough. --Shak. To be sure, or Be sure, certainly; without doubt; as, Shall you do? To be sure I shall. To make sure. (a) To make certain; to secure so that there can be no failure of the purpose or object. ``Make Cato sure.'' --Addison. ``A peace can not fail, provided we make sure of Spain.'' --Sir W. Temple. (b) To betroth. [Obs.] She that's made sure to him she loves not well. --Cotgrave. Syn: Certain; unfailing; infallible; safe; firm; permanent; steady; stable; strong; secure; indisputable; confident; positive.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(surer, surest) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If you are sure that something is true, you are certain that it is true. If you are not sure about something, you do not know for certain what the true situation is. He'd never been in a class before and he was not even sure that he should have been teaching... The president has never been sure which direction he wanted to go in on this issue... It is impossible to be sure about the value of land. = certain ? doubtful ADJ: v-link ADJ, ADJ that, ADJ wh, ADJ about/of n 2. If someone is sure of getting something, they will definitely get it or they think they will definitely get it. A lot of people think that it's better to pay for their education so that they can be sure of getting quality... ADJ: v-link ADJ of -ing/n 3. If you say that something is sure to happen, you are emphasizing your belief that it will happen. With over 80 beaches to choose from, you are sure to find a place to lay your towel... PHRASE [emphasis] 4. Sure is used to emphasize that something such as a sign or ability is reliable or accurate. Sharpe's leg and shoulder began to ache, a sure sign of rain... She has a sure grasp of social issues such as literacy, poverty and child care. ADJ: ADJ n [emphasis] 5. If you tell someone to be sure to do something, you mean that they must not forget to do it. Be sure to read about how mozzarella is made, on page 65... Be sure you get your daily quota of calcium. ADJ: v-link ADJ, ADJ to-inf, ADJ that [emphasis] 6. Sure is an informal way of saying 'yes' or 'all right'. 'He rang you?'—'Sure. Last night.'... 'I'd like to be alone, O.K?'—'Sure. O.K.'... CONVENTION [formulae] 7. You can use sure in order to emphasize what you are saying. (INFORMAL) 'Has the whole world just gone crazy?'—'Sure looks that way, doesn't it.' = certainly ADV: ADV before v [emphasis] 8. You say sure enough, especially when telling a story, to confirm that something was really true or was actually happening. We found the English treacle pudding too good to resist. Sure enough, it was delicious... PHRASE: PHR with cl (not last in cl) 9. If you say that something is for sure or that you know it for sure, you mean that it is definitely true. One thing's for sure, Astbury's vocal style hasn't changed much over the years... PHRASE: PHR with cl (not first in cl) 10. If you make sure that something is done, you take action so that it is done. Make sure that you follow the instructions carefully... PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR that 11. If you make sure that something is the way that you want or expect it to be, you check that it is that way. He looked in the bathroom to make sure that he was alone... PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR that 12. If you say that something is a sure thing, you mean that you are certain that it will happen or be successful. (INFORMAL) This proposal is by no means a sure thing. PHRASE 13. If you are sure of yourself, you are very confident about your own abilities or opinions. I'd never seen him like this, so sure of himself, so in command. PHRASE: v-link PHR

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Certain, confident, positive, assured, fully convinced. 2. Safe, secure, stable, firm, steady, trustworthy. 3. Infallible, unfailing, never-failing, strong, permanent, enduring, abiding, fast, indisputable, certain. 4. Certain, unerring. II. ad. Certainly, without doubt, surely, doubtless.

Moby Thesaurus

OK, Roger, abiding, absolute, absolutely, accurate, adducible, admissible, agape, agog, all agog, all right, alright, alrighty, amen, anticipant, anticipating, anticipative, anticipatory, apodictic, arrogant, as you say, assured, assuredly, attestative, attestive, authentic, awaiting, aye, based on, believing, bound, by all means, calculable, certain, certainly, certified, changeless, circumstantial, clear, clear and distinct, clear as day, cocksure, cocky, conclusive, confident, constant, convinced, convincing, covered, cumulative, da, damning, decided, decisive, definite, dependable, determinate, determinative, determined, devout, documentary, documented, dogmatic, doubtless, eager, effective, enduring, ensured, established, evidential, evidentiary, ex parte, exactly, expectant, expecting, eye-witness, factual, faithful, faithworthy, fast, fated, fateful, fideistic, final, fine, firm, firsthand, fixed, foolproof, forearmed, forestalling, forewarned, founded on, gaping, genuine, good, good enough, grounded on, guaranteed, hear, hearsay, hopeful, hubristic, implicit, impressed with, in anticipation, in expectation, incontestable, incontrovertible, incorruptible, indeed, indeedy, indefeasible, indicative, indisputable, indubitable, ineluctable, inerrable, inerrant, inescapable, inevasible, inevitable, inexorable, infallible, inflexible, insured, invincible, inviolable, irrefutable, irresistible, irrevocable, ja, just so, looking for, looking forward to, mais oui, material, most assuredly, naturally, naturellement, necessary, never-failing, not surprised, nuncupative, of course, okay, optimistic, oui, overconfident, oversure, overweening, overwhelming, perfectly sure, persuaded, pert, pietistic, pious, pistic, poised, pompous, positive, positively, precisely, predestined, predetermined, predictable, prepared, presumptive, probative, proud, proven, quite, rather, ready, real, really, reassured, reliable, resistless, responsible, right, righto, safe, sanguine, satisfied, secure, secured, self-assured, self-confident, self-important, self-possessed, self-reliant, self-satisfied, set, significant, sold on, solid, sound, stable, staunch, steadfast, steady, straight, strong, substantial, suggestive, sure as death, sure as fate, sure thing, sure-enough, sure-fire, surefire, surely, symptomatic, telling, tested, to be sure, to be trusted, tried, tried and true, true, truly, trustable, trustworthy, trusty, unafraid, unambiguous, unavoidable, unchangeable, unchanging, uncompromising, uncontestable, uncontrollable, undeflectable, undeniable, under the impression, undeviating, undoubtful, undoubting, unequivocal, unerring, unfailing, unfalse, unfaltering, unflinching, unhesitating, univocal, unmistakable, unperfidious, unpreventable, unqualified, unquestionable, unquestioning, unshakable, unshakeable, unshaken, unstoppable, unsurprised, unswerving, untreacherous, unvarying, unwavering, unyielding, valid, very well, waiting, waiting for, warranted, watching for, weighty, well and good, well-founded, well-grounded, wholehearted, why yes, yea, yeah, yep, yes, yes indeed, yes indeedy, yes sir, yes sirree