US /ʃɔː(ɹ)/ UK /ʃoː/
adv adj Freq #130

Meanings

  1. 1
    adj

    Feeling certain about something; having no doubt.

    I'm sure I locked the door.

  2. 2
    adj

    Certain to happen or to be true; reliable.

    This investment is a sure thing.

  3. 3
    adv

    Yes, certainly (used informally to agree).

    "Can you help me?" "Sure!"

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 adj · feeling certain about... certain
2 adj · certain to happen or to be... reliablecertain
3 adv · yes, certainly (used... surely
More okyes
Word family
Forms surersurest
Derived forms cock-sureself-suresure-enoughsure-firesure-footedsure-footednesssure-handedsure-handedlysure-handednesssurely

Etymology

From Middle English sure, seur, sur, from Middle French sur or Old French seür, from Latin sēcūrus (“secure”, literally “carefree”), from sē- (“apart”) + cūra (“care”) (compare Old English orsorg (“carefree”), from or- (“without”) + sorg (“care”)). See cure. Doublet of secure and the now obsolete or dialectal sicker (“certain, safe”). Displaced native Middle English wis, iwis (“certain, sure”) (from Old English ġewis, ġewiss (“certain, sure”)), as well as Middle English siker (“sure, secure”) (from Old English sicor (“secure, sure”)) with which it was cognate.

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