sure
1 of 2adjective
ˈshu̇r 
ˈshər,
especially Southern ˈshȯr
surer; surest
1
a
: marked by or given to feelings of confident certainty
I'm sure I'm right
b
: characterized by a lack of wavering or hesitation
sure brush strokes
a sure hand
2
: admitting of no doubt : indisputable
spoke from sure knowledge
3
a
: bound, destined
is sure to win
b
: bound to happen : inevitable
sure disaster
4
: careful to remember, attend to, or find out something
be sure to lock the door
5
: firmly established : steadfast
a sure hold
6
: reliable, trustworthy
a sure friend
7
obsolete : safe from danger or harm
sureness noun
sure
2 of 2adverb
: surely
Synonyms
Adjective
- assured
- certain
- clear
- cocksure
- confident
- doubtless
- implicit
- positive
- sanguine
Adverb
- 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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective She's not sure who will be there. Are you sure you want to go? Are you sure about that? She'll be there, I'm sure of it. Are you sure of the results? The return of the robins is a sure sign of spring. The letter is a sure indication that she cares. Pizza is a sure crowd pleaser. The surest way to lose weight is with diet and exercise. One sure way to improve your health is to stop smoking. Adverb we sure could use your help here See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Emma Green, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2022 Cringeworthy stuff, for sure, but those were less-woke times, and Bolin rolled with it. Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Sep. 2022 One thing is for sure: Charles has a fine example to follow. Katie Frost, Town & Country, 8 Sep. 2022 Another resident wanted to be sure that the search will be open to anyone. Steve Smith, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2022 Not much is known for sure, and historians consider most of the stories about him to be legends. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 6 Sep. 2022 The country was thrust back into crisis again—economic for sure, but not solely; this crisis, or these crises, were about democracy and public health (actually, life and death) as well as the economy. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2022 One thing's for sure, showing you care has never been easier! Angela Belt, House Beautiful, 6 Sep. 2022 Student Body President Timothy Wolfe, 13, was ready to rock his first parade for sure. Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022 Nathan Baird, cleveland, 10 Sep. 2022 Another trio of pick-sixes would sure help the cause. Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2022 Being able to see the water inside the vessel and outside the fountain will sure entice cats. Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 8 Sep. 2022 To borrow a phrase, Hawkeyes offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz sure picked the right guy to be his dad. Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 4 Sep. 2022 After all, divorce sure didn’t work out for the heroine of one of Tolstoy’s greatest works, Anna Karenina. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2022 Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield sure likes to act as if there isn’t. Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 Tay sure knows how to make a glorious mess on her way to the exit. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2022 The Guardian Caps worn by hundreds of NFL players during training camps this summer have sure taken some getting used to. Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2022 See More
Adjective
That number may be lower among Muslims, although there’s not much recent data to tell us for sure. Emma Green, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2022 Cringeworthy stuff, for sure, but those were less-woke times, and Bolin rolled with it. Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Sep. 2022 One thing is for sure: Charles has a fine example to follow. Katie Frost, Town & Country, 8 Sep. 2022 Another resident wanted to be sure that the search will be open to anyone. Steve Smith, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2022 Not much is known for sure, and historians consider most of the stories about him to be legends. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 6 Sep. 2022 The country was thrust back into crisis again—economic for sure, but not solely; this crisis, or these crises, were about democracy and public health (actually, life and death) as well as the economy. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2022 One thing's for sure, showing you care has never been easier! Angela Belt, House Beautiful, 6 Sep. 2022 Student Body President Timothy Wolfe, 13, was ready to rock his first parade for sure. Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022 Adverb
JK Johnson replaced Burke on the next series, and while some other second-stringers also subbed in, that sure seemed performance-related. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 10 Sep. 2022 Another trio of pick-sixes would sure help the cause. Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2022 Being able to see the water inside the vessel and outside the fountain will sure entice cats. Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 8 Sep. 2022 To borrow a phrase, Hawkeyes offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz sure picked the right guy to be his dad. Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 4 Sep. 2022 After all, divorce sure didn’t work out for the heroine of one of Tolstoy’s greatest works, Anna Karenina. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2022 Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield sure likes to act as if there isn’t. Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 Tay sure knows how to make a glorious mess on her way to the exit. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2022 The Guardian Caps worn by hundreds of NFL players during training camps this summer have sure taken some getting used to. Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English seur, sure, from Anglo-French seur, from Latin securus secure
First Known Use
Adjective
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7
Adverb
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing sure
Kids Definition
sure 1 of 2
adjective
ˈshu̇r
surer; surest
1
: having no doubt : certain
… he could not be sure if the scream awakened him or the pain in his stomach. Gary Paulsen, Hatchet
Gary Paulsen, Hatchet2
: true without question
3
: firmly established
a sure grip
4
: reliable, trustworthy
a sure remedy
5
: bound to happen
sure disaster
6
: bound as if by fate
You are sure to win.
sure
2 of 2adverb
1
: surely sense 1
2
: surely sense 2
Sure, we'll be there.
"Well, you sure gave me some bad moments. I almost passed out …" Oliver Butterworth, The Enormous Egg
Oliver Butterworth, The Enormous Eggsure 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in confident
having or showing a mind free from doubt are you absolutely sure that she said she was coming today? Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- confident
- assured
- certain
- positive
- doubtless
- clear
- implicit
- sanguine
- cocksure
- resolute
- decisive
- self-assured
- unhesitating
- unwavering
- self-confident
- unquestioning
- unfaltering
- self-conceited
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unsure
- doubtful
- uncertain
- dubious
- hesitant
- indecisive
- unassuming
- wavering
- vacillating
- diffident
2
as in necessary
impossible to avoid or evade the joke's a sure dud if you don't pause in the right places Synonyms & Similar Words
- necessary
- inevitable
- possible
- definite
- certain
- probable
- unavoidable
- inescapable
- decided
- ineluctable
- likely
- unescapable
- ineludible
- settled
- destined
- on the cards
- in the cards
- relentless
- in the bag
- predestined
- fated
- foreordained
- predetermined
- unstoppable
- preordained
- inexorable
- unremitting
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unsure
- uncertain
- doubtful
- unclear
- avoidable
- questionable
- unlikely
- preventable
- dubious
- shaky
- undecided
- evadable
- unreliable
- unsettled
- preventible
- improbable
- undependable
3
as in reliable
not likely to fail a sure cure for the winter blues—a week in the Bahamas Synonyms & Similar Words
- reliable
- certain
- surefire
- infallible
- dependable
- can't-miss
- unfailing
- fail-safe
- deadly
- unerring
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- doubtful
- uncertain
- questionable
- fallible
4
as in good
worthy of one's trust a sister is a sure friend for life Synonyms & Similar Words
- reliable
- good
- true
- responsible
- safe
- tried
- steady
- solid
- secure
- dependable
- trustworthy
- loyal
- calculable
- strong
- trusty
- telling
- faithful
- devoted
- trustable
- honest
- constant
- fast
- steadfast
- sound
- sincere
- proven
- tried-and-true
- confirmed
- effective
- staunch
- valid
- infallible
- stanch
- firm
- verified
- true-blue
- validated
- unquestionable
- unerring
- attested
- authenticated
- blameless
- single-minded
- guiltless
- faultless
- bedrock
- irreproachable
- impeccable
- unimpeachable
- inerrant
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- uncertain
- unsafe
- unreliable
- doubtful
- false
- suspect
- untrue
- uncertain
- untrustworthy
- treacherous
- disloyal
- unfaithful
- problematic
- debatable
- fickle
- undependable
- lying
- questionable
- faithless
- problematical
- dishonest
- dubious
- perfidious
- traitorous
- dodgy
- inconstant
- fishy
- risky
- hazardous
- mendacious
- deceitful
- shaky
- disputable
- untruthful
- unsound
- shady
- recreant
- unconfirmed
- doubtable
- untried
5
as in conclusive
not capable of being challenged or proved wrong no sure evidence that life exists on other planets Synonyms & Similar Words
- conclusive
- certain
- positive
- definite
- undeniable
- indisputable
- unquestionable
- accomplished
- inarguable
- irrefutable
- unarguable
- unanswerable
- indubitable
- incontestable
- incontrovertible
- irrefragable
- unchallengeable
- clear
- unambiguous
- unequivocal
- absolute
- decisive
- undisputed
- unquestioned
- hands-down
- uncontested
- uncontradicted
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- problematic
- debatable
- questionable
- arguable
- problematical
- negotiable
- doubtful
- moot
- answerable
- uncertain
- disputable
- controversial
- disputed
- debated
- dubious
- iffy
- ambiguous
- doubtable
- inconclusive
- refutable
- indecisive
- controvertible
- contradictable
- speculative
- theoretical
- hypothetical
- equivocal
- academic
- theoretic
- academical
sure
2 of 2adverb
as in definitely
without any question we sure could use your help here Synonyms & Similar Words
- definitely
- certainly
- surely
- clearly
- probably
- really
- likely
- so
- undoubtedly
- truly
- for certain
- easily
- indeed
- assuredly
- for sure
- damn well
- doubtless
- unquestionably
- undeniably
- indisputably
- perhaps
- possibly
- obviously
- alright
- plainly
- all right
- inarguably
- unarguably
- hands down
- incontestably
- forsooth
- incontrovertibly
- conceivably
- by all means
- by all odds
- unmistakably
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of sure are certain, cocksure, and positive. While all these words mean "having no doubt or uncertainty," sure usually stresses the subjective or intuitive feeling of assurance.
felt sure that I had forgotten something
In some situations, the words certain and sure are roughly equivalent. However, certain may apply to a basing of a conclusion or conviction on definite grounds or indubitable evidence.
police are certain about the cause of the fire
The words cocksure and sure can be used in similar contexts, but cocksure implies presumptuous or careless positiveness.
you're always so cocksure about everything
The synonyms positive and sure are sometimes interchangeable, but positive intensifies sureness or certainty and may imply opinionated conviction or forceful expression of it.
I'm positive that's the person I saw