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sure

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈʃʊər/, /ˈʃɔːr/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ʃʊr/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(shŏŏr, shûr)

Inflections of 'sure' (adj):
surer
adj comparative
surest
adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
sure /ʃʊr/USA pronunciation   adj., sur•er, sur•est, adv. 
adj. 
  1. (of a person) free from doubt as to the reliability, character, action, etc., of something: [be + ~ (+ of/about)]Are you sure? —Well, I'm pretty sure. She was very sure of her facts.[be + ~ + (that) clause]was sure (that) she had told him.
  2. confident, as of something expected: [be/feel + ~ + of]They felt sure of success.[be + ~ + (that) clause]He was sure (that) he wouldn't fail again.
  3. convinced, fully persuaded, or positive:[be + ~]to be sure of a person's honesty.
  4. assured or certain beyond question:[before a noun]a sure victory.
  5. never missing or disappointing;
    unfailing:[before a noun]This investment is a sure thing.
  6. allowing for no doubt or question:[before a noun]Those high clouds are a sure sign of snow.
  7. destined;
    certain:[be + ~ + to + verb]It is sure to happen.

adv. 
  1. Informal Termscertainly;
    surely:She sure acts funny sometimes.
Idioms
  1. Idioms be or make sure, to take care (to be or do as specified): [be + ~ + to + verb]Be sure to set your alarm clock.[make + ~ + (that) clause]Could you make sure (that) everything is OK with our checking account?
  2. Idioms for sure, without a doubt;
    surely;
    for certain:We'd like to know for sure if you're on our side.
  3. Idioms, Informal Terms sure enough, [Informal.]as might have been expected;
    certainly:As soon as I brought the car to the service station, sure enough the weird sound went away.

sure•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
sure  (shŏŏr, shûr),USA pronunciation adj., sur•er, sur•est, adv. 
adj. 
  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. [Obs.]secure;
    safe.
  11. be sure, to take care (to be or do as specified);
    be certain:Be sure to close the windows.
  12. for sure, as a certainty;
    surely:It's going to be a good day, for sure.
  13. make sure, to be or become absolutely certain:I'm calling to make sure that you remember to come.
  14. Informal Terms sure enough, as might have been supposed;
    actually;
    certainly:Sure enough, the picnic was rained out.
  15. to be sure:
    • without doubt;
      surely;
      certainly.
    • admittedly:She sings well, to be sure, but she can't act.

adv. 
  1. Informal Termscertainly;
    surely:It sure is cold out. Sure, I'll come.
  • Latin sēcūrus secure
  • Middle French sur, Old French seur
  • Middle English sur(e) 1300–50
sure′ness, n. 
    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.
    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. 
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
sure /ʃʊə; ʃɔː/ adj
  1. (sometimes followed by of) free from hesitancy or uncertainty (with regard to a belief, conviction, etc): we are sure of the accuracy of the data, I am sure that he is lying
  2. (followed by of) having no doubt, as of the occurrence of a future state or event: sure of success
  3. always effective; unfailing: a sure remedy
  4. reliable in indication or accuracy: a sure criterion
  5. (of persons) worthy of trust or confidence: a sure friend
  6. not open to doubt: sure proof
  7. admitting of no vacillation or doubt: he is very sure in his beliefs
  8. bound to be or occur; inevitable: victory is sure
  9. (postpositive) bound inevitably (to be or do something); certain: she is sure to be there tonight
  10. physically secure or dependable: a sure footing
  11. be sure ⇒ (usually imperative or dependent imperative; takes a clause as object or an infinitive, sometimes with to replaced by and) to be careful or certain: be sure and shut the door, I told him to be sure to shut the door
  12. for sure ⇒ without a doubt; surely
  13. make sure ⇒
    • (takes a clause as object) to make certain; ensure
    • (followed by of) to establish or confirm power or possession (over)
  14. sure enough ⇒ informal as might have been confidently expected; definitely: often used as a sentence substitute
  15. to be sure ⇒
    • without doubt; certainly
    • it has to be acknowledged; admittedly
 adv
  1. (sentence substitute) informal willingly; yes
  2. (sentence modifier) informal chiefly US Canadian without question; certainly
Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French seur, from Latin sēcūrus secureˈsureness n
'sure' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: (it's) a sure thing, I'm sure of it!, are you sure about [that, this]?, more...

Forum discussions with the word(s) "sure" in the title:

< be sure to arrive> vs. < be due to arrive>
--Will it snow tomorrow? --Yes, sure./No, not at all.
...make sure (that), if he gets released, that he now can't do...
...tomorrow I'll make sure I reply/have replied/replied
...wasn't sure but what...
''Make sure you'' - ''Make sure of'' vs ''Make sure to''
''Make sure you're here!'' in American English
''Sure to get'' vs "sure to have got"
'Not sure if' or 'not sure that' ?
“Very sure/certain”
”Where’s Peter?” ”He .... upstairs. I’m not sure.”
(feeling) confident / being sure
(In) whatever way you cook yours (in), be sure to...
(it) sure is too bad
[Are you sure to delete the video] from your device's local storage?
[I am / We are] sorry, but [I/We] don't know for sure.
[next winter’s] tempests would be sure to fell one or both to earth
[reply to] If you have any trouble, be sure to call me.
100 percent sure [100%]
100% sure
A Cash In For Sure
A kid living...sure is more knowledgeable than the one living...
a random person that they will make sure goes down
a sentence which I am not sure [if it] is OK
A sentence which I am not sure about
a statement I’m not sure <if?> <it?> is correct or not
a sure pure point
A: Make sure to... / B: Okay, I won't?
After he had made sure that he signed the contract, he left the office.
agent sure to be efficacious
more...

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