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sure - 7 dictionary results

sure

  [shoor, shur] adjective, sur⋅er, sur⋅est, adverb
Use sure in a Sentence
–adjective
1. free from doubt as to the reliability, character, action, etc., of something: to be sure of one's data.
2. confident, as of something expected: sure of success.
3. convinced, fully persuaded, or positive: to be sure of a person's guilt.
4. assured or certain beyond question: a sure victory.
5. worthy of confidence; reliable; stable: a sure messenger.
6. unfailing; never disappointing expectations: a sure cure.
7. unerring; never missing, slipping, etc.: a sure aim.
8. admitting of no doubt or question: sure proof.
9. destined; bound inevitably; certain: sure death.
10. Obsolete. secure; safe.
11. be sure, to take care (to be or do as specified); be certain: Be sure to close the windows.
–adverb
12. Informal. certainly; surely: It sure is cold out. Sure, I'll come.
—Idioms
13. for sure, as a certainty; surely: It's going to be a good day, for sure.
14. make sure, to be or become absolutely certain: I'm calling to make sure that you remember to come.
15. sure enough, Informal. as might have been supposed; actually; certainly: Sure enough, the picnic was rained out.
16. to be sure,
a. without doubt; surely; certainly.
b. admittedly: She sings well, to be sure, but she can't act.
Origin:
1300–50; ME sur(e) < MF sur, OF seur < L sēcūrus secure

Related forms:
sureness, noun

Synonyms:
1. Sure, certain, confident, positive indicate full belief and trust that something is true. Sure, certain, and positive are often used interchangeably. Sure, the simplest and most general, expresses mere absence of doubt. Certain suggests that there are definite reasons that have freed one from doubt. Confident emphasizes the strength of the belief or the certainty of expectation felt. Positive implies emphatic certainty, which may even become overconfidence or dogmatism.

Usage note:
Both sure and surely are used as intensifying adverbs with the sense “undoubtedly, certainly.” In this use, sure is generally informal and occurs mainly in speech and written representations of speech: She sure dazzled the audience with her acceptance speech. It was sure hot enough in the auditorium. Surely is used in this sense in all varieties of speech and writing, even the most formal: The court ruled that the law was surely meant to apply to both profit-making and nonprofit organizations. See also quick, slow.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To sure
sure   (shŏŏr, 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.
    1. Bound to come about or happen; inevitable: sure defeat.
    2. Having one's course directed; destined or bound: sure to succeed.
    3. Worthy of being trusted or depended on; reliable.
    4. Free from or marked by freedom from doubt: sure of her friends.
  5. Certain not to miss or err; steady: a sure hand on the throttle.
    1. Worthy of being trusted or depended on; reliable.
    2. 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.

[Middle English, from Old French, safe, from Latin sēcūrus; see secure.]
sure'ness n.
Synonyms: 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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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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.

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 Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : sure
Spanish: seguro; convencido,
German: sicher,
Japanese: 確信する
More Translations »

sure 
c.1300, "safe, secure," later "mentally certain" (c.1450), from O.Fr. sur, seur "safe, secure," from L. securus "free from care, untroubled, heedless, safe" (see secure). Pronunciation development followed that of sugar. As an affirmative meaning "yes, certainly" it dates from 1803, from M.E. meanings "firmly established, having no doubt," and phrases like to be sure (1657), sure enough (1545), and for sure (1586). The use as a qualifier meaning "assuredly" goes back to 1425. Sure-footed is from 1633; sure-fire first attested 1901; sure thing dates from 1836. In 16c.-17c., Suresby was an appellation for a person to be depended upon.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Sure
["Towards a Broader Basis for Logic Programming", Bharat Jayaraman, TR CS Dept, SUNY Buffalo, 1990].
(1995-01-05)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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sure

In addition to the idioms beginning with sure, also see for certain (sure); make sure; slow but sure; to be sure.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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