Sure — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb /ˈshu̇r/

Meaning & Definition of Sure

Sure (adjective)

  1. marked by or given to feelings of confident certainty
  2. characterized by a lack of wavering or hesitation
  3. admitting of no doubt, indisputable

Sure (adverb)

  1. surely

Sure (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing a mind free from doubt

    "are you absolutely sure that she said she was coming today?"

    similar: assured, certain, clear, cocksure, confident, doubtless, implicit, positive, sanguine
    related: self-assured, self-conceited, self-confident, decisive, resolute, unfaltering, unhesitating, unquestioning, unwavering
    opposite: doubtful, dubious, uncertain, unsure
    near: hesitant, indecisive, vacillating, wavering, diffident, unassuming

  2. impossible to avoid or evade

    "the joke's a sure dud if you don't pause in the right places"

    similar: certain, ineluctable, ineludible, inescapable, inevitable, necessary, unavoidable, unescapable, in the bag, in the cards
    related: decided, definite, settled, likely, possible, probable, destined, fated, foreordained, predestined, predetermined, preordained, inexorable, relentless, unremitting, unstoppable
    opposite: avoidable, evadable, uncertain, unsure
    near: preventable, doubtful, dubious, questionable, shaky, unclear, undecided, unsettled, undependable, unreliable, improbable, unlikely

  3. not likely to fail

    "a sure cure for the winter blues—a week in the Bahamas"

    similar: can't-miss, certain, fail-safe, infallible, surefire, unfailing
    related: dependable, reliable, deadly, unerring
    opposite: fallible
    near: doubtful, questionable, uncertain

  4. worthy of one's trust

    "a sister is a sure friend for life"

    similar: calculable, dependable, good, reliable, responsible, safe, secure, solid, steady, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustable, trustworthy, trusty
    related: constant, devoted, faithful, fast, loyal, staunch, steadfast, true-blue, honest, sincere, single-minded, infallible, unerring, bedrock, firm, sound, strong, effective, telling, attested, authenticated, confirmed, proven, valid, validated, verified, blameless, faultless, guiltless, impeccable, inerrant, irreproachable, unimpeachable, unquestionable
    opposite: dodgy (chiefly British), uncertain, undependable, unreliable, unsafe, untrustworthy
    near: disloyal, faithless, false, fickle, inconstant, perfidious, recreant, traitorous, treacherous, unfaithful, untrue, deceitful, dishonest, lying, mendacious, untruthful, debatable, disputable, doubtable, doubtful, dubious, fishy, problematic, questionable, shady, shaky, suspect, uncertain, unsound, hazardous, risky, unconfirmed, untried

  5. not capable of being challenged or proved wrong

    "no sure evidence that life exists on other planets"

    similar: accomplished, certain, inarguable, incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, irrefragable, irrefutable, positive, unanswerable, unarguable, unchallengeable, undeniable, unquestionable
    related: unambiguous, unequivocal, absolute, clear, conclusive, decisive, definite, hands-down, uncontested, uncontradicted, undisputed, unquestioned
    opposite: answerable, arguable, contradictable, controvertible, debatable, disputable, doubtable, moot, negotiable, problematic, questionable, refutable
    near: controversial, debated, disputed, doubtful, dubious, iffy, inconclusive, indecisive, uncertain, ambiguous, equivocal, academic, hypothetical, speculative, theoretical

Sure (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. without any question

    "we sure could use your help here"

    similar: all right, alright, assuredly, certainly, clearly, definitely, doubtless, easily, forsooth, hands down, inarguably, incontestably, incontrovertibly, indeed, indisputably, plainly, really, so, surely, truly, unarguably, undeniably, undoubtedly, unquestionably, by all means, by all odds, damn well, for certain, for sure
    related: conceivably, likely, perhaps, possibly, probably, obviously, unmistakably

Related Entry: Sure-enough (adjective)

Sure-enough is a different word from Sure. The synonyms below are for sure-enough, not for sure.

  1. being exactly as appears or as claimed

    "a sure-enough ghost town that is a relic of the gold rush days"

    similar: authentic, bona fide, certifiable, certified, dinkum (Australian & New Zealand), echt, genuine, honest, pukka, real, right, true, for real
    related: actual, historical, original, lawful, legal, legitimate, identifiable, recognizable, verifiable, proven, substantiated, validated, verified, incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, irrefutable, undeniable, undoubted, unmistakable, unquestionable, veritable, very, accurate, correct, proper, pure, unadulterated, unalloyed
    opposite: bogus, counterfeit, fake, false, mock, phony, pseudo, sham, spurious, suppositious, supposititious, unauthentic, unreal
    near: artificial, factitious, imitation, man-made, simulated, synthetic, unnatural, concocted, fabricated, manufactured, deceptive, delusive, delusory, misleading

  2. existing in fact and not merely as a possibility

    "the inventor showed that he did have a sure-enough death ray"

    similar: actual, concrete, de facto, effective, existent, factual, genuine, real, true, very
    related: attested, authenticated, confirmed, demonstrated, established, proven, substantiated, valid, validated, verified, incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, inescapable, irrefutable, undeniable, unquestionable, believable, convincing, literal, realistic, unmistakable, verifiable, authentic, bona fide, real-life, real-world, absolute, certain, final, hard, objective, palpable, positive, substantial, tangible, authoritative, certifiable, certified
    opposite: conjectural, hypothetical, ideal, inexistent, nonexistent, platonic, possible, potential, suppositional, theoretical
    near: alleged, assumed, reputed, supposed, conceived, envisaged, envisioned, imagined, pictured, visualized, chimerical, fabled, fanciful, fictional, fictitious, illusory, legendary, fabricated, fake, imaginary, invented, made-up, make-believe, pretend, romantic, abstract, symbolic, unreal, virtual

Related Entry: Sure thing (noun)

Sure thing is a different word from Sure. The synonyms below are for sure thing, not for sure.

  1. one that is certain to succeed

    "he's a sure thing for the promotion: he's the most qualified candidate by far"

    similar: cinch, lock, shoo-in, slam dunk, lead-pipe cinch
    related: certainty, inevitability, eventuality, foregone conclusion
    near: dark horse, long shot

Related Entry: Sure-footed (adjective)

Sure-footed is a different word from Sure. The synonyms below are for sure-footed, not for sure.

  1. as in fleet-footed

    similar: fleet-footed, adroit, deft, dexterous, light-fingered, athletic, balletic, coordinated, acrobatic, flexible, limber, loose-jointed, pliable, pliant, supple, agile, featly, feline, graceful, gracile, light, light-footed, lightsome, lissome, lithe, lithesome, nimble, spry
    opposite: awkward, clumsy, gawky, graceless, klutzy, lumbering, ungainly, ungraceful, uncoordinated, inflexible, rigid, stiff, bungling, inept, maladroit

Related Entry: Sure-footedness (noun)

Sure-footedness is a different word from Sure. The synonyms below are for sure-footedness, not for sure.

  1. as in nimbleness, deftness

    similar: agility, deftness, dexterity, nimbleness, sleight, spryness, adeptness, adroitness, finesse, prowess, flexibility, gracefulness, limberness, litheness, loose-jointedness, suppleness, handiness, sure-handedness, coordination
    opposite: awkwardness, clumsiness, gaucheness, gawkiness, gawkishness, gracelessness, ham-handedness, heavy-handedness, klutziness, ungainliness, disability, inability, incapability, incapacity, debilitation, disablement, impairment, incapacitation, unhandiness

Related Entry: Sure-handed (adjective)

Sure-handed is a different word from Sure. The synonyms below are for sure-handed, not for sure.

  1. as in deft, clever

    similar: adroit, clever, deft, dexterous, handy, slick, accomplished, ace, adept, compleat, complete, consummate, crack, crackerjack, educated, experienced, expert, good, great, master, masterful, masterly, practiced, professed, proficient, skilled, skillful, versed, veteran, virtuoso, gifted, talented, polished, refined, effective, effectual, efficient, workmanlike, able, capable, competent, employable, fit, fitted, habile, qualified, knowledgeable, schooled, taught, trained, tutored, all-around, well-rounded, long-term, old, multiskilled, multitalented
    opposite: amateur, amateurish, inexperienced, inexpert, jackleg, unprofessional, unseasoned, unskilled, unskillful, incapable, incompetent, inept, unable, unfit, unfitted, unqualified, weak, artless, crude, rude, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient, talentless, ungifted, untalented, ignorant, unschooled, untaught, untrained, untutored, beginning, green, new, raw, untested, untried, would-be, primitive, rough, unpolished, awkward, clumsy, ham-fisted, ham-handed, heavy-handed

Related Entry: Sure-handedness (noun)

Sure-handedness is a different word from Sure. The synonyms below are for sure-handedness, not for sure.

  1. as in handiness

    similar: handiness, flexibility, gracefulness, limberness, litheness, loose-jointedness, suppleness, sure-footedness, coordination, adeptness, adroitness, finesse, prowess, agility, deftness, dexterity, nimbleness, sleight, spryness
    opposite: awkwardness, clumsiness, gaucheness, gawkiness, gawkishness, gracelessness, ham-handedness, heavy-handedness, klutziness, ungainliness, disability, inability, incapability, incapacity, debilitation, disablement, impairment, incapacitation, unhandiness

Related Entry: Sure things (noun)

Sure things is a different word from Sure. The synonyms below are for sure things, not for sure.

  1. one that is certain to succeed

    "he's a sure thing for the promotion: he's the most qualified candidate by far"

    similar: cinches, locks, shoo-ins, slam dunks, lead-pipe cinches
    related: certainties, inevitabilities, eventualities, foregone conclusions
    near: dark horses, long shots

Related Entry: For sure (phrase)

For sure is a different word from Sure. The synonyms below are for for sure, not for sure.

  1. without any question

    "After he switched shifts at work, he said he would be at the party for sure."

    similar: all right, alright, assuredly, certainly, clearly, definitely, doubtless, easily, forsooth, hands down, inarguably, incontestably, incontrovertibly, indeed, indisputably, plainly, really, so, sure, surely, truly, unarguably, undeniably, undoubtedly, unquestionably, by all means, by all odds, damn well, for certain
    related: conceivably, likely, perhaps, possibly, probably, obviously, unmistakably

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Sure

The most common words with a similar meaning to Sure:

assured, certain, clear, cocksure, confident, doubtless, implicit, positive, sanguine, ineluctable, ineludible, inescapable, inevitable, necessary, unavoidable, unescapable, can't-miss, fail-safe, infallible, surefire, unfailing, calculable, dependable, good, reliable, responsible, safe, secure, solid, steady, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustable, trustworthy, trusty, accomplished, inarguable, incontestable, incontrovertible

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Sure

Words with the opposite meaning of Sure:

doubtful, dubious, uncertain, unsure, avoidable, evadable, fallible, dodgy, undependable, unreliable, unsafe, untrustworthy, answerable, arguable, contradictable, controvertible, debatable, disputable, doubtable, moot, negotiable, problematic, questionable, refutable

Related Words for Sure

self-assured, self-conceited, self-confident, decisive, resolute, unfaltering, unhesitating, unquestioning, unwavering, decided, definite, settled, likely, possible, probable, destined, fated, foreordained, predestined, predetermined, preordained, inexorable, relentless, unremitting, unstoppable, deadly, unerring, constant, devoted, faithful

Near Antonyms of Sure

hesitant, indecisive, vacillating, wavering, diffident, unassuming, preventable, shaky, unclear, undecided, unsettled, improbable, unlikely, disloyal, faithless, false, fickle, inconstant, perfidious, recreant, traitorous, treacherous, unfaithful, untrue, deceitful, dishonest, lying, mendacious, untruthful, fishy

Word Forms of Sure

Inflections: surer, surest

Derived words: sureness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Sure

Middle English seur, sure, from Anglo-French seur, from Latin securus secure

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Sure

Words & Phrases Containing Sure

sure-enough, sure enough, sure-footed, sure-handed, sure thing, sure bet, sure of oneself, for sure

Frequently Asked Questions about Sure

What does "Sure" mean?

"Sure" means marked by or given to feelings of confident certainty. As an an adjective and an adverb, it is defined as: marked by or given to feelings of confident certainty. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Sure"?

Other words for "Sure" include assured, certain, clear, cocksure, confident, doubtless, implicit and positive. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Sure" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Sure"?

There are 152 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Sure". Common alternatives include assured, certain, clear, cocksure, confident, doubtless, implicit, positive, sanguine and ineluctable.

What is the opposite of "Sure"?

Antonyms of "Sure" include doubtful, dubious, uncertain, unsure, avoidable, evadable, fallible and dodgy. Near antonyms include hesitant, indecisive, vacillating and wavering.

How do you use "Sure" in a sentence?

Examples of "Sure" in a sentence: "are you absolutely sure that she said she was coming today?"; "the joke's a sure dud if you don't pause in the right places"; "a sure cure for the winter blues—a week in the Bahamas".

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

"Sure" can be used as an adjective and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Sure" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Sure" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Sure"?

"Sure" is pronounced /ˈshu̇r/.