sure
EnglishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
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”)), Middle English siker (“sure, secure”) (from Old English sicor (“secure, sure”)) with which was cognate.
This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.
PronunciationEdit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ʃʊə/, /ʃɔː/, /ʃɜː/
Audio (Swiss) (file)
- (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ʃoː/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ʃʊɹ/, /ʃɔɹ/, /ʃɝ/
- (Canada) IPA(key): /ʃɔɹ/, /ʃɝ/
- (non-rhotic, show-sure merger, AAVE) IPA(key): /ʃoʊ/
- (obsolete) IPA(key): /sjʊəɹ/, /sjuːɹ/, /sɪʊ̯ɹ/
- Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ), -ɔː(ɹ)
- Homophone: shore (with the cure-force merger)
- Homophones: shaw, Shaw (in non-rhotic dialects with the paw-poor merger)
- Homophone: show (in non-rhotic dialects with the show-sure merger)
AdjectiveEdit
sure (comparative surer, superlative surest)
- Physically secure and certain, non-failing, reliable.
- This investment is a sure thing. The bailiff had a sure grip on the prisoner's arm.
- Certain in one's knowledge or belief.
- 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 58:
- The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on a certain afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house.
- 2008 November 21, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 3, Episode 1:
- Roy: I'm 95% sure it was him.
Jen: You... you said you were 99% sure.
Roy: I'm 97% sure it was him.
- Roy: I'm 95% sure it was him.
- She is sure of herself.
- He is sure she was lying.
- He was sure of being a finalist.
- They aren't completely sure who will attend.
- You seemed sure that the car was his.
- (followed by a to infinitive) Certain to act or be a specified way.
- Be sure to lock the door when you leave.
- (obsolete) Free from danger; safe; secure.
- c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 36, column 1:
- Feare not: the Forreſt is not three leagues off, / If we recouer that, we are ſure enough.
- (obsolete) Betrothed; engaged to marry.
- c. 1513-1518 (probably date written, published after 1535) Thomas More, History of King Richard III
- The king was sure to Dame Elizabeth Lucy, and her husband before God.
- 1632, Richard Brome, The Northern Lass
- I presum'd […] [that] you had been sure, as fast as faith could bind you, man and wife.
- c. 1513-1518 (probably date written, published after 1535) Thomas More, History of King Richard III
SynonymsEdit
- (secure and steadfast): certain, failsafe, reliable, sicker
- (steadfast in one's knowledge or belief): certain, positive, wis
Derived termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
TranslationsEdit
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AdverbEdit
sure (comparative more sure, superlative most sure)
- (modal adverb) Without doubt, certainly.
- Sure he's coming! Why wouldn't he?
- "Did you kill that bear yourself?" ―"I sure did!"
- 1802, Charles Lamb, John Woodvil
- These high and gusty relishes of life, sure,
Have no allayings of mortality in them.
- These high and gusty relishes of life, sure,
- (archaic) Without fail, surely.
- c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene iii:
- Theſe are the wings ſhall make it flie as ſwift,
As dooth the lightening: or the breath of heauen,
And kill as ſure as it ſwiftly flies.
Usage notesEdit
- Often proscribed in favor of surely. May be informal.
InterjectionEdit
sure
- Yes, expressing noncommittal agreement or consent.
- "Do you want me to put this in the garage?" "Sure, go ahead."
- Yes; of course.
- "Could you tell me where the washrooms are?" "Sure, they're in the corner over there."
- You're welcome; polite response to being thanked.
- "Thanks for helping me with that electrical fault." "Sure. Any time."
SynonymsEdit
TranslationsEdit
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ReferencesEdit
- 1996, T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Etymology, Oxford University Press, →ISBN
AnagramsEdit
DanishEdit
AdjectiveEdit
sure
FinnishEdit
VerbEdit
sure
- present active indicative connegative of surra
- second-person singular present imperative of surra
- second-person singular present active imperative connegative of surra
AnagramsEdit
FrenchEdit
PronunciationEdit
- Rhymes: -yʁ
AdjectiveEdit
sure
AdjectiveEdit
sure
- Alternative spelling of sûre
Further readingEdit
- “sure”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
AnagramsEdit
ItalianEdit
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
sure
Middle EnglishEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Old French seür, from Latin sēcūrus. Doublet of siker.
Alternative formsEdit
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
sure (comparative seurer)
- safe, protected (not dangerous or harmful)
- fortified, well-defended, protected; especially religiously
- sure, certain, confirmed
- sure-minded (certain of one's intent)
- reliable, of good quality
- sound, sturdy, hardy
Derived termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
ReferencesEdit
- “seur, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-21.
AdverbEdit
sure
- sure, surely, with no doubt or uncertainty
- entirely, wholly, fully
- While protecting something, with protection
- With a tight grasp or grip
DescendantsEdit
ReferencesEdit
- “seur, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-21.
Etymology 2Edit
VerbEdit
sure
- Alternative form of suren
Etymology 3Edit
NounEdit
sure
- Alternative form of sire
Norwegian BokmålEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Arabic سُورَة (sūra, “chapter of the Qur'an”).
Alternative formsEdit
NounEdit
sure m (definite singular suren, indefinite plural surer, definite plural surene)
Etymology 2Edit
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
AdjectiveEdit
sure
ReferencesEdit
AnagramsEdit
Norwegian NynorskEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Arabic سُورَة (sūra, “chapter of the Qur'an”).
Alternative formsEdit
NounEdit
sure m (definite singular suren, indefinite plural surar, definite plural surane)
Etymology 2Edit
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
AdjectiveEdit
sure
ReferencesEdit
- “sure” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
AnagramsEdit
Old EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Germanic, related to sūr (“sour”).
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
sūre f
PaliEdit
Alternative formsEdit
NounEdit
sure
RomanianEdit
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
sure
SwedishEdit
AdjectiveEdit
sure
TurkishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Ottoman Turkish سوره (sure), from Arabic سُورَة (sūra).
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
sure (definite accusative sureyi, plural sureler)
DeclensionEdit
Inflection | ||
---|---|---|
Nominative | sure | |
Definite accusative | sureyi | |
Singular | Plural | |
Nominative | sure | sureler |
Definite accusative | sureyi | sureleri |
Dative | sureye | surelere |
Locative | surede | surelerde |
Ablative | sureden | surelerden |
Genitive | surenin | surelerin |