free from doubt as to the reliability, character, action, etc., of something: to be sure of one's data.
confident, as of something expected: sure of success.
convinced, fully persuaded, or positive: to be sure of a person's guilt.
assured or certain beyond question: a sure victory.
worthy of confidence; reliable; stable: a sure messenger.
unfailing; never disappointing expectations: a sure cure.
unerring; never missing, slipping, etc.: a sure aim.
admitting of no doubt or question: sure proof.
destined; bound inevitably; certain: sure death.
Obsolete. secure; safe.
be sure,to take care (to be or do as specified); be certain: Be sure to close the windows.
adverb
Informal. certainly; surely: It sure is cold out. Sure, I'll come.
Idioms for sure
for sure, as a certainty; surely: It's going to be a good day, for sure.
make sure, to be or become absolutely certain: I'm calling to make sure that you remember to come.
sure enough, Informal. as might have been supposed; actually; certainly: Sure enough, the picnic was rained out.
to be sure,
without doubt; surely; certainly.
admittedly: She sings well, to be sure, but she can't act.
Origin of sure
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sur(e), from Middle French sur,Old French seur, from Latin sēcūrus “carefree”; see secure
synonym study for sure
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.
words often confused with sure
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.
To be sure, there were some ashes and a little dirt in the soup, but that was not regarded as important.
Blackfeet Indian Stories|George Bird Grinnell
I'm sure I don't know why Miss Vavasor should care about my seeing her.
Can You Forgive Her?|Anthony Trollope
Sure of the result, he pressed with his finger tips upon the lower end of that short piece of board.
Murder at Bridge|Anne Austin
And to be sure when a man rises from the dead thus uninvited—your brother was the sole heir of our late master!
The Robbers|Friedrich Schiller
"She sure does get into evil ways, sometimes," added Jim, laughingly.
Five Little Starrs in the Canadian Forest|Lillian Elizabeth Roy
British Dictionary definitions for sure
sure
/ (ʃʊə, ʃɔː) /
adjective
(sometimes foll 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
(foll by of)having no doubt, as of the occurrence of a future state or eventsure of success
always effective; unfailinga sure remedy
reliable in indication or accuracya sure criterion
(of persons) worthy of trust or confidencea sure friend
not open to doubtsure proof
admitting of no vacillation or doubthe is very sure in his beliefs
bound to be or occur; inevitablevictory is sure
(postpositive)bound inevitably (to be or do something); certainshe is sure to be there tonight
physically secure or dependablea sure footing
obsoletefree from exposure to harm or danger
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 certainbe sure and shut the door; I told him to be sure to shut the door
for surewithout a doubt; surely
make sure
(takes a clause as object)to make certain; ensure
(foll by of)to establish or confirm power or possession (over)
sure enoughinformalas might have been confidently expected; definitely: often used as a sentence substitute
to be sure
without doubt; certainly
it has to be acknowledged; admittedly
adverb
(sentence substitute)informalwillingly; yes
(sentence modifier)informal, mainlyUS and Canadianwithout question; certainly
Derived forms of sure
sureness, noun
Word Origin for sure
C14: from Old French seur, from Latin sēcūrussecure