Guess — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈges/

Meaning & Definition of Guess

Guess (verb)

  1. to form an opinion of from little or no evidence
  2. believe, suppose
  3. to arrive at a correct conclusion about by conjecture, chance, or intuition

Guess (noun)

  1. an attempt to give an opinion or answer about something based on limited or insufficient information, conjecture, surmise

Guess (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to form an opinion from little or no evidence

    "though she does not speak with an accent, I would still guess that she is a foreigner"

    similar: assume, conjecture, daresay, imagine, presume, speculate, suppose, surmise, suspect, suspicion (chiefly dialect)
    related: conclude, deduce, gather, infer, hypothecate, hypothesize, theorize, believe, conceive, expect, judge, reckon (chiefly dialect), take, think
    near: demonstrate, document, establish, prove, substantiate, validate, ascertain, determine, find out, learn

  2. to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement

    "I would guess the road goes for about two miles before you have to take a left"

    similar: calculate, call, conjecture, estimate, figure, gauge, judge, make, place, put, reckon, suppose
    related: conclude, deduce, extrapolate, gather, infer, reason, understand
    near: calibrate, measure, scale, compute, work out

  3. to have as an opinion

    "I never would have guessed that she was capable of such a terrible thing"

    similar: allow (chiefly Southern & Midland), believe, conceive, consider, deem, esteem, feel, figure, hold, imagine, judge, reckon (chiefly dialect), suppose, think
    related: regard, view, accept, perceive, depend, rely, trust, assume, presume, presuppose, surmise, conclude, deduce, infer
    near: distrust, doubt, mistrust, question, suspect, disbelieve, discredit, reject

Guess (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an opinion or judgment based on little or no evidence

    "if you don't know the answer for sure, just make a guess"

    similar: conjecture, shot, supposition, surmise, shot in the dark
    related: hypothesis, hypothetical, theory, thesis, dead reckoning, guessing, guesswork, speculation, hunch, intuition, belief, faith

Related Entry: Second-guess (verb)

Second-guess is a different word from Guess. The synonyms below are for second-guess, not for guess.

  1. as in outguess

    similar: outguess, fox, outfox, outmaneuver, outslick, outsmart, outthink, outwit, overreach, baffle, balk, circumvent, foil, frustrate, thwart, cozen, deceive, dupe, fool, gull, trick, conquer, defeat, lick, overcome, bar, block, hinder, impede, obstruct

  2. as in speculate (about)

    similar: speculate (about), conclude, reason, brood (about or over), dwell (on or upon), fixate (on or upon), fret (about or over), obsess (about or over), analyze, explore, review, believe, conceive, opine, muse (upon), reflect (on or upon), reminisce, absorb, assimilate, digest, drink (in), chew over, cogitate, consider, contemplate, debate, deliberate, entertain, eye, kick around, meditate, mull (over), perpend, ponder, pore (over), question, revolve, ruminate, study, think (about or over), turn, weigh, wrestle (with)
    opposite: disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, dismiss, pooh-pooh, reject

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Guess

The most common words with a similar meaning to Guess:

Chiefly dialect: suspicion, reckon
Chiefly Southern & Midland: allow
assume, conjecture, daresay, imagine, presume, speculate, suppose, surmise, suspect, calculate, call, estimate, figure, gauge, judge, make, place, put, believe, conceive, consider, deem, esteem, feel, hold, think, shot, supposition, shot in the dark

Related Words for Guess

conclude, deduce, gather, infer, hypothecate, hypothesize, theorize, expect, take, extrapolate, reason, understand, regard, view, accept, perceive, depend, rely, trust, presuppose, hypothesis, hypothetical, theory, thesis, dead reckoning, guessing, guesswork, speculation, hunch, intuition

Near Antonyms of Guess

demonstrate, document, establish, prove, substantiate, validate, ascertain, determine, find out, learn, calibrate, measure, scale, compute, work out, distrust, doubt, mistrust, question, suspect, disbelieve, discredit, reject

Word Forms of Guess

Inflections: guessed, guessing, guesses

Derived words: guessable (adjective), guesser (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Guess

Middle English gessen, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian & Swedish gissa to guess, Middle Dutch gissen, gessen, Old Norse geta to get, guess get

First known use: 14th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Guess

  • Topics: Common Actions / Verbs

Words & Phrases Containing Guess

another-guess, second-guess, anybody's/anyone's guess, someone's guess is as good as mine, wild guess

Frequently Asked Questions about Guess

What does "Guess" mean?

"Guess" means to form an opinion of from little or no evidence. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to form an opinion of from little or no evidence. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Guess"?

Other words for "Guess" include assume, conjecture, daresay, imagine, presume, speculate, suppose and surmise. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Guess" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Guess"?

There are 64 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Guess". Common alternatives include assume, conjecture, daresay, imagine, presume, speculate, suppose, surmise, suspect and suspicion.

How do you use "Guess" in a sentence?

Examples of "Guess" in a sentence: "though she does not speak with an accent, I would still guess that she is a foreigner"; "I would guess the road goes for about two miles before you have to take a left"; "I never would have guessed that she was capable of such a terrible thing".

Is "Guess" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Guess" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Guess"?

"Guess" is pronounced /ˈges/.

What is the origin of the word "Guess"?

"Guess" comes from Middle English gessen, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian & Swedish gissa to guess, Middle Dutch gissen, gessen, Old Norse geta to get, guess get. First known use: 14th centuryt.

What is another word for "Guess" meaning "to form an opinion from little or no evidence"?

When "Guess" (verb) means to form an opinion from little or no evidence, synonyms include assume, conjecture, daresay, imagine, presume and speculate.