sure

CEFRA1

/sɪʊ̯ɹ/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Certain that something is true or will happen.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Certain in one's knowledge or belief.

Examples

  • ‘Is that John over there?’ ‘I'm not sure’.

  • You should make sure of the fact without hesitation.

At a glance

Sits at A1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /sjuːɹ/
  • /sjʊəɹ/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Certain to act or be a specified way.

  2. Physically secure and certain, non-failing, reliable.

  3. Free from danger; safe; secure.

More examples

In context

  • Are you sure of your facts?

  • Roy: I'm 95% sure it was him. Jen: You... you said you were 99% sure. Roy: I'm 97% sure it was him.

  • The bailiff had a sure grip on the prisoner's arm.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

After checking the lock twice, she was blank that the door was secure.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

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.