sure

See also Sure, süre, and sûre

English

Etymology

From Middle English sure, sur, from Middle French sur, from Old French seür, from Latin sēcūrus (“secure”, literally “carefree”), from se (“apart”) + cura (“care”) (compare Old English orsorg (“carefree”), from or (“without”) + sorg (“care”)). See cure. 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”)).

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ʃʊə(ɹ)/, /ʃɔː(ɹ)/, X-SAMPA: /SU@(r\)/, /SO:(r\)
• Rhymes: -ʊə(r), -ɔː(r)
• (GenAm) IPA: /ʃʊɹ/, /ʃɔɹ/, /ʃɝ/, X-SAMPA: /SUr\/, /SOr\/, /S3'/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• (Australia, New Zealand) IPA: /ʃoː(ɹ)/, X-SAMPA: /So:(r\)/
• Homophones: shaw, Shaw (in some non-rhotic dialects); shore (in some dialects)

Adjective

sure (comparative surer, superlative surest)

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

   This investment is a sure thing.

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

2. Certain in one's knowledge or belief.

   He was sure she was lying.

   I am sure of my eventual death.

   John was acting sure of himself but in truth had doubts.

3. Certain to act or be a specified way.

   Be sure to lock the door when you leave.

Synonyms

• (secure and steadfast): certain, failsafe, reliable
• (steadfast in one's knowledge or belief): certain, positive, wis

Derived terms

• for sure
• surely
• sure up

Look at pages starting with sure.

Translations

certain, reliable

• Arabic: أكيد (ar) (ʾakīd)
• Armenian: վստահ (hy) (vstah) 
• Aromanian: sigur (rup)
• Catalan: segur (ca)
• Chamicuro: akachelo'ta
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 確定 (cmn), 确定 (cmn) (quèdìng)

• Czech: jistý (cs)
• Dutch: zeker (nl)
• Finnish: varma (fi)
• French: sûr (fr) m, sûre (fr) f, certain (fr)
• Friulian: sigûr, ciert
• Georgian: სანდო (ka) (sando) 
• German: sicher (de)
• Greek: ασφαλής (el) (asfalís) 
• Hebrew: בטוח (he)
• Hungarian: biztos (hu)
• Irish: dearfa (ga), deimhin (ga)
• Italian: sicuro (it) m, sicura (it) f, certo (it) m, certa (it) f

• Japanese: 確か (ja) (たしか, tashika)
• Jèrriais: seux
• Korean: 확실한 (ko) (hwaksir-han)
• Latin: certus (la)
• Macedonian: сигурно
• Occitan: segur (oc)
• Persian: مطمئن (fa) (motma'enn, motma'en)
• Polish: pewny (pl), pewien (pl)
• Portuguese: certo (pt), seguro (pt)
• Romanian: sigur (ro), cert (ro)
• Romansch: segir (rm), sieir (rm), siir (rm), sgür (rm)
• Russian: уверенный (ru) (uvérennyj) 
• Sardinian: securu (sc), seguru (sc), sicuru (sc), siguru (sc)
• Scots: shuir
• Scottish Gaelic: cinnteach (gd), deimhinn (gd)
• Spanish: seguro (es)
• Swedish: säker (sv)
• Turkish: emin (tr)

certain in one's knowledge or belief

• Georgian: დარწმუნებული (ka) (dartsmunebuli) 
• Greek: βέβαιος (el) (vévaios) 

• Swedish: säker (sv)

certain to act or be

Adverb

sure (comparative more sure, superlative most sure)

1. (modal adverb) Without doubt.

   Sure he's coming! Why wouldn't he?

   "Did you kill that bear yourself? ―"I sure did!"

Usage notes

• Often proscribed in favor of surely. May be informal.

Interjection

sure

1. (Discuss⁽⁺⁾ this sense) Yes, of course.

Synonyms

• (yes, of course): certainly, of course, OK, yes

Translations

yes, of course

• Arabic: طبعًا (ar) (ṭabʿan), أكيد (ar) (ʾakīd)
• Armenian: իհարկե (hy) (iharke) , անշուշտ (hy) (anšušt) 
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 當然 (cmn), 当然 (cmn) (dāngrán)

• French: bien sûr (fr)
• Georgian: უთუოდ (ka) (ut'uod) 
• German: sicher (de)
• Hebrew: בטח (he)

• Italian: certo (it)
• Japanese: もちろん (ja) (mochiron)
• Korean: 물론 (ko) (mullon)
• Polish: oczywiście (pl), (exclamation) pewnie! (pl)
• Portuguese: tá (pt), claro (pt), tudo bem (pt)
• Russian: конечно (ru) (konéšno) 
• Slovene: sevéda (sl)
• Swedish: självklart (sv), jodå (sv)

References

• 1996, T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Etymology, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0192830988

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: er · children · English · #320: sure · indeed · leave · rest

Anagrams

• rues
• ruse, Ruse
• user

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Danish

Adjective

sure

1. definite and plural of sur

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Finnish

Verb

sure

1. Indicative present connegative form of surra.
2. Second-person singular imperative present form of surra.
3. Second-person singular imperative present connegative form of surra.

Anagrams

• resu

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French

Adjective

sure

1. feminine form of sur

Anagrams

• rues
• ruse, rusé
• suer
• user

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Old English

Etymology

From Germanic, related to sūr (“sour”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsuːre/

Noun

sūre f

1. sorrel

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Romanian

Adjective

sure

1. Inflected form of sur

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Swedish

Adjective

sure

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of sur.

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Turkish

Wikipedia ^tr

Etymology

From Arabic سورة (sūra).

Noun

sure (definite accusative sureyi, plural sureler)

1. sura

Declension

declension of sure

	singular (tekil)	plural (çoğul)
nominative (yalın)	sure	sureler
definite accusative (belirtme)	sureyi	sureleri
dative (yönelme)	sureye	surelere
locative (bulunma)	surede	surelerde
ablative (çıkma)	sureden	surelerden
genitive (tamlayan)	surenin	surelerin