sure
English
Alternative forms
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”)), Middle English siker (“sure, secure”) (from Old English sicor (“secure, sure”)) with which it was cognate.
This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term. When and how did the letter"s" come to be pronounced as "sh"? The OED entry points to a source that may have information on this: E. J. Dobson Eng. Pronunc. 1500–1700 (ed. 2, 1968) II. §185 (iii.) and $388. Perhaps early irregular yod-coalescence?
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ʃʊə/, (pour–poor merger) /ʃɔː/
- (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ʃoː/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ʃʊɹ/, (cure–fir merger) /ʃɚ/, (pour–poor merger) /ʃɔɹ/
- (Canada) IPA(key): /ʃɔɹ/, (cure–fir merger) /ʃɚ/
- (New York City) IPA(key): /ʃuɚ/
- (non-rhotic, show–sure merger, African-American Vernacular) IPA(key): /ʃoʊ/
- (Scotland, Northern Ireland) IPA(key): /ʃʉːɹ/
- (Ireland) IPA(key): /ˈʃuːɹ/
- (obsolete) IPA(key): /sjʊəɹ/, /sjuːɹ/, /sɪʊ̯ɹ/
- Homophones: shore (pour–poor merger); shaw, Shaw (paw–poor merger); show (show–sure merger)
- Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ), -ɔː(ɹ)
Adjective
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.
- 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
Synonyms
- (secure and steadfast): certain, failsafe, reliable, sicker
- (steadfast in one's knowledge or belief): certain, positive, wis
Derived terms
- as sure as eggs are eggs
- as sure as eggs is eggs
- cock-sure
- for sure
- I'm sure
- make sure
- self-sure
- slow but sure wins the race
- sure as a gun
- sure as death
- sure as death and taxes
- sure as eggs
- sure as eggs are eggs
- sure as eggs is eggs
- sure as fate
- sure as hell
- sure as shit
- sure as shooting
- sure as sugar
- sure as taxes
- sure as the world
- sure bet
- sure-enough
- sure enough
- sure-fire
- sure-footed
- sure-footedness
- sure hand at the tiller
- sure-handed
- sure-handedly
- sure-handedness
- sure hand on the tiller
- surely
- sure of oneself
- sure thing
- sure up
- to be sure
English terms starting with “sure”
Descendants
Translations
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Adverb
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.
- (archaic) Without fail, surely.
- c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, 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 notes
- Often proscribed in favor of surely. May be informal.
Interjection
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."
Synonyms
Translations
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References
- 1996, T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Etymology, Oxford University Press, →ISBN
Anagrams
- U.S.-er, US'er, rues, useR, U.S.er, user, Ruse, Ersu, Rues, U.S.'er, Reus, suer, ruse, ures, US-er, ERUs
Danish
Adjective
sure
Finnish
Verb
sure
- inflection of surra:
Anagrams
French
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -yʁ
Adjective
sure
Adjective
sure
- Alternative spelling of sûre
Further reading
- “sure”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams
Italian
Pronunciation
Noun
sure
Middle English
Etymology 1
From Old French seür, from Latin sēcūrus. Doublet of siker.
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Adjective
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 terms
Descendants
References
- “seur, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-21.
Adverb
sure
- sure, surely, with no doubt or uncertainty
- entirely, wholly, fully
- While protecting something, with protection
- With a tight grasp or grip
Descendants
References
- “seur, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-21.
Etymology 2
Verb
sure
- Alternative form of suren
Etymology 3
Noun
sure
- Alternative form of sire
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology 1
From Arabic سُورَة (sūra, “chapter of the Qur'an”).
Alternative forms
Noun
sure m (definite singular suren, indefinite plural surer, definite plural surene)
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Adjective
sure
References
Anagrams
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology 1
From Arabic سُورَة (sūra, “chapter of the Qur'an”).
Alternative forms
Noun
sure m (definite singular suren, indefinite plural surar, definite plural surane)
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Adjective
sure
References
- “sure” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Anagrams
Old English
Etymology
From Germanic, related to sūr (“sour”).
Pronunciation
Noun
sūre f
Descendants
Pali
Alternative forms
Noun
sure
Romanian
Pronunciation
Adjective
sure
- inflection of sur:
Swedish
Adjective
sure
Turkish
Etymology
From Ottoman Turkish سوره (sure), from Arabic سُورَة (sūra).
Pronunciation
Noun
sure (definite accusative sureyi, plural sureler)
Declension
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 |
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English doublets
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with homophones
- Rhymes:English/ʊə(ɹ)
- Rhymes:English/ʊə(ɹ)/1 syllable
- Rhymes:English/ɔː(ɹ)
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English adverbs
- English terms with archaic senses
- English interjections
- English modal adverbs
- Danish non-lemma forms
- Danish adjective forms
- Finnish non-lemma forms
- Finnish verb forms
- Rhymes:French/yʁ
- Rhymes:French/yʁ/1 syllable
- French non-lemma forms
- French adjective forms
- Italian 2-syllable words
- Italian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Italian/ure
- Rhymes:Italian/ure/2 syllables
- Italian non-lemma forms
- Italian noun forms
- Middle English terms borrowed from Old French
- Middle English terms derived from Old French
- Middle English terms derived from Latin
- Middle English doublets
- Middle English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English adjectives
- Middle English adverbs
- Middle English verbs
- Middle English nouns
- enm:Security
- Norwegian Bokmål terms borrowed from Arabic
- Norwegian Bokmål terms derived from Arabic
- Norwegian Bokmål lemmas
- Norwegian Bokmål nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål masculine nouns
- nb:Islam
- Norwegian Bokmål non-lemma forms
- Norwegian Bokmål adjective forms
- Norwegian Nynorsk terms borrowed from Arabic
- Norwegian Nynorsk terms derived from Arabic
- Norwegian Nynorsk lemmas
- Norwegian Nynorsk nouns
- Norwegian Nynorsk masculine nouns
- nn:Islam
- Norwegian Nynorsk non-lemma forms
- Norwegian Nynorsk adjective forms
- Old English terms derived from Germanic languages
- Old English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Old English lemmas
- Old English nouns
- Old English feminine nouns
- ang:Plants
- Pali non-lemma forms
- Pali noun forms
- Romanian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Romanian non-lemma forms
- Romanian adjective forms
- Swedish non-lemma forms
- Swedish adjective forms
- Turkish terms derived from Ottoman Turkish
- Turkish terms derived from Arabic
- Turkish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Turkish lemmas
- Turkish nouns
- tr:Islam
- tr:Qur'an