sure
1. having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty;
confident and assured (Freq. 51)
- felt certain of success
- was sure (or certain) she had seen it
- was very sure in his beliefs
- sure of her friends
• Syn:
certain
• Ant:
unsure, uncertain (for: certain)
• Similar to:
convinced, positive, confident
• Derivationally related forms:
sureness
• Attrubites:
certainty, assurance, self-assurance, confidence, self-confidence,
authority, sureness
2. exercising or taking care great enough to bring assurance (Freq. 23)
- be certain to disconnect the iron when you are through
- be sure to lock the doors
• Syn:
certain
• Similar to:
careful
3. certain to occur;
destined or inevitable (Freq. 4)
- 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
• Ant:
uncertain (for: certain)
• Similar to:
bound, destined, doomed, fated, foreordained,
predestinate, predestined, in for
• See Also:
predictable
4. physically secure or dependable (Freq. 1)
- a sure footing
- was on sure ground
• Similar to:
secure
5. reliable in operation or effect (Freq. 1)
- a quick and certain remedy
- a sure way to distinguish the two
- wood dust is a sure sign of termites
• Syn:
certain
• Similar to:
reliable, dependable
6. (of persons) worthy of trust or confidence
- a sure (or trusted) friend
• Syn:
trusted
• Similar to:
trustworthy, trusty
7. infallible or unfailing
- a sure (or true) sign of one's commitment
• Similar to:
true
• Derivationally related forms:
sureness
8. certain not to fail
- a sure hand on the throttle
• Similar to:
steady
• Derivationally related forms:
sureness
9. impossible to doubt or dispute
- indisputable (or sure) proof
• Syn:
indisputable
• Similar to:
certain
• Derivationally related forms:
indisputability (for: indisputable)
definitely or positively ('sure' is sometimes used informally for 'surely') (Freq. 18)
- 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, for sure, for certain, sure enough, sure as shooting
• Derived from adjective:
certain (for: certainly), sure (for: surely)
• Usage Domain:
colloquialism
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