sure

See also: Sure, süre, sûre, and surə

English

Alternative forms

• sho
• sho'

Etymology

From Middle English sure, seur, sur, from Middle French sur or Old French seür, from Latin sēcūrus (“secure”, literally “carefree”), from sē- (“apart”) + cūra (“care”) (compare Old English orsorg (“carefree”), from or- (“without”) + sorg (“care”)). See cure. Doublet of secure and the now obsolete or dialectal sicker (“certain, safe”).

Displaced native Middle English wis, iwis (“certain, sure”) (from Old English ġewis, ġewiss (“certain, sure”)), as well as Middle English siker (“sure, secure”) (from Old English sicor (“secure, sure”)) with which it was cognate.

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term. When and how did the letter"s" come to be pronounced as "sh"? The OED entry points to a source that may have information on this: E. J. Dobson Eng. Pronunc. 1500–1700 (ed. 2, 1968) II. §185 (iii.) and $388. Perhaps early irregular yod-coalescence?

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ʃʊə/, (pour–poor merger) /ʃɔː/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ʃoː/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ʃʊɹ/, (cure–fir merger) /ʃɝ/, (pour–poor merger) /ʃɔɹ/

  • Audio (US); /ʃɝ/:

    (file)

  • Audio (US); /ʃʊɹ/:

    (file)

• (Canada) IPA^(key): /ʃɔɹ/, (cure–fir merger) /ʃɝ/
• (New York City) IPA^(key): /ʃuɚ/
• (non-rhotic, show–sure merger, African-American Vernacular) IPA^(key): /ʃoʊ/
• (Scotland, Northern Ireland) IPA^(key): /ʃʉːɹ/
• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /ˈʃuːɹ/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /sjʊəɹ/, /sjuːɹ/, /sɪʊ̯ɹ/
• Homophones: shore (pour–poor merger); shaw, Shaw (paw–poor merger); show (show–sure merger)
• Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ), -ɔː(ɹ)

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.

   • 1932, Aldous Huxley, Brave New World‎^[1], London: Chatto & Windus:

     'In the end,' said Mustapha Mond, 'the Controllers realized that force was no good. The slower but infinitely surer methods of ectogenesis, Neo-Pavlovian conditioning and hypnopædia…'

2. Certain in one's knowledge or belief.
   • 1827, Thomas De Quincey, On Murder Considered as one of the Fine Arts:

     The very excess of the extravagance, in fact, by suggesting to the reader continually the mere aeriality of the entire speculation, furnishes the surest means of disenchanting him from the horror which might else gather upon his feelings.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 58:

     The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on a certain afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house.

   • 2008 November 21, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 3, Episode 1:

     Roy: I'm 95% sure it was him.
     Jen: You... you said you were 99% sure.
     Roy: I'm 97% sure it was him.

   He is sure she was lying.

   He was sure of being a finalist.

   They aren't completely sure who will attend.

   You seemed sure that the car was his.

3. (followed by a to infinitive) Certain to act or be a specified way.

   Be sure to lock the door when you leave.

4. (obsolete) Free from danger; safe; secure.
   • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 36, column 1:

     Feare not: the Forreſt is not three leagues off, / If we recouer that, we are ſure enough.

5. (obsolete) Betrothed; engaged to marry.
   • c. 1513-1518 (probably date written, published after 1535) Thomas More, History of King Richard III

     The king was sure to Dame Elizabeth Lucy, and her husband before God.

   • 1632, Richard Brome, The Northern Lass:

     I presum'd […] [that] you had been sure, as fast as faith could bind you, man and wife.

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

• as sure as eggs are eggs
• as sure as eggs is eggs
• cock-sure
• damn sure
• for sure
• I'm sure
• make sure
• self-sure
• slow but sure wins the race
• sure as a gun
• sure as death
• sure as death and taxes
• sure as eggs
• sure as eggs are eggs
• sure as eggs is eggs
• sure as fate
• sure as hell
• sure as shit
• sure as shooting
• sure as sugar
• sure as taxes
• sure as the sun is going to come up tomorrow
• sure as the sun is going to come up tomorrow morning
• sure as the sun is going to rise tomorrow
• sure as the sun is going to rise tomorrow morning
• sure as the world
• sure bet
• sure enough
• sure-enough
• sure-fire
• sure-footed
• sure-footedness
• sure hand at the tiller
• sure-handed
• sure-handedly
• sure-handedness
• sure hand on the tiller
• surely
• sure of oneself
• sure thing
• sure up
• to be sure

 

English terms starting with “sure”

Descendants

• → Kashubian: szur (United States)
• →⇒ Irish: siúráil
• → Welsh: siwr

Translations

certain, reliable

• Arabic: أَكِيد (ʔakīd)
• Armenian: վստահ (hy) (vstah)
• Aromanian: sigur
• Asturian: seguru
• Basque: seguru
• Bulgarian: си́гурен (bg) (síguren)
• Catalan: segur (ca)
• Chamicuro: akachelo'ta
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 確定 / 确定 (zh) (quèdìng)

• Czech: jistý (cs)
• Dutch: zeker (nl)
• Finnish: varma (fi)
• French: sûr (fr) m, sûre (fr) f, certain (fr)
• Friulian: sigûr, ciert
• Galician: certo (gl), seguro (gl)
• Georgian: სანდო (sando)
• German: sicher (de), stichhaltig (de), hieb- und stichfest (de), wasserdicht (de)
• Greek: ασφαλής (el) (asfalís)
• Hebrew: בָּטוּחַ (he) (batúakh)
• Hindi: पक्का (hi) (pakkā)
• Hungarian: biztos (hu)
• Irish: dearfa, deimhin
• Italian: sicuro (it) m, sicura (it) f, certo (it) m, certa (it) f
• Japanese: 確か (ja) (たしか, tashika)
• Korean: 확실하다 (ko) (hwaksilhada)
• Ladin: cert, cërt
• Latin: certus
• Macedonian: сигурен (siguren)
• Norman: seux
• Occitan: segur (oc)
• Persian: مطمئن (fa) (motma'enn, motma'en)
• Plautdietsch: wess
• Polish: pewny (pl), pewien (pl)
• Portuguese: certo (pt), seguro (pt)
• Romanian: sigur (ro), cert (ro)
• Romansch: segir, sieir, siir, sgür
• Russian: уве́ренный (ru) (uvérennyj), надёжный (ru) (nadjóžnyj), ве́рный (ru) (vérnyj)
• Sardinian: securu, seguru, sicuru, siguru
• Scots: shuir
• Scottish Gaelic: cinnteach, deimhinn
• Sicilian: sicuru (scn), siguro, certu
• Spanish: seguro (es), cierto (es)
• Swedish: säker (sv)
• Turkish: emin (tr)
• Ukrainian: упе́внений (upévnenyj)
• Venetan: çerto, serto, sigur, siguro, seguro
• Welsh: siwr, sicr (cy)

certain in one's knowledge or belief

• Arabic: مُتَأَكِّد (mutaʔakkid)

  Hijazi Arabic: مُتْأكِّد (mutʔakkid)

• Armenian: հաստատուն (hy) (hastatun)
• Basque: seguru
• Belarusian: упэ́ўнены (upéŭnjeny), пэ́ўны (be) (péŭny)
• Bulgarian: уве́рен (bg) (uvéren), си́гурен (bg) (síguren)
• Catalan: segur (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 確定 / 确定 (zh) (quèdìng)

• Czech: jistý (cs)
• Danish: sikker (da)
• Dutch: zeker (nl)
• Esperanto: certa
• Finnish: varma (fi)
• French: sûr (fr), certain (fr)
• Galician: certo (gl)
• Georgian: დარწმუნებული (darc̣munebuli)
• German: sicher (de)
• Greek: βέβαιος (el) (vévaios), σίγουρος (el) m (sígouros)
• Hebrew: בָּטוּחַ (he) (batúakh)
• Hungarian: biztos benne or with inessive case ………-ban/-ben
• Icelandic: viss (is) m
• Italian: sicuro (it)
• Japanese: 確信した (ja) (かくしんした, kakushin shita)
• Korean: 확실하다 (ko) (hwaksilhada)
• Macedonian: сигурен (siguren), уверен (uveren)
• Maore Comorian: na yakini
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: sikker (no)

• Old English: ġewiss
• Polish: pewny (pl)
• Portuguese: certo (pt)
• Romanian: sigur (ro), cert (ro)
• Russian: уве́ренный (ru) (uvérennyj)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: си̏гӯран, у̀верен

  Roman: sȉgūran (sh), ùveren

• Slovak: istý
• Slovene: gotov
• Spanish: seguro (es), que tiene claro
• Swedish: säker (sv)
• Ukrainian: упе́внений (upévnenyj), пе́вний (uk) (pévnyj)
• Vietnamese: chắc chắn (vi)
• Welsh: siŵr (cy), sicr (cy)

certain to act or be

• Finnish: varma (fi) ("be sure to" in requests is expressed with muistaa)
• Hungarian: mindenképpen (hu)

Adverb

sure (comparative more sure, superlative most sure)

1. (modal adverb) Without doubt, certainly.

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

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

   • 1802, Charles Lamb, John Woodvil:

     These high and gusty relishes of life, sure,
     Have no allayings of mortality in them.

2. (archaic) Without fail, surely.
   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene iii:

     Theſe are the wings ſhall make it flie as ſwift,
     As dooth the lightening: or the breath of heauen,
     And kill as ſure as it ſwiftly flies.

Usage notes

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

Interjection

sure

1. Yes, expressing noncommittal agreement or consent.

   "Do you want me to put this in the garage?" "Sure, go ahead."

2. Yes; of course.

   "Could you tell me where the washrooms are?" "Sure, they're in the corner over there."

3. You're welcome; polite response to being thanked.

   "Thanks for helping me with that electrical fault." "Sure. Any time."

Synonyms

• (noncommittal yes): OK, yes
• (response to being thanked): of course

Translations

noncommittal yes

• Bulgarian: разбира се (razbira se)
• Finnish: toki (fi), vaikka (fi)
• French: d’accord (fr)
• Polish: pewnie (pl), jasne (pl), spoko (pl)

of course

• Arabic: طَبْعًا (ṭabʕan), أَكِيد (ʔakīd)
• Armenian: իհարկե (hy) (iharke), անշուշտ (hy) (anšušt)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 當然 / 当然 (zh) (dāngrán)

• Finnish: toki (fi)
• French: bien sûr (fr)
• Georgian: უთუოდ (utuod)
• German: sicher (de)
• Greek: βεβαίως (el) (vevaíos)
• Hebrew: בטח (he)
• Hungarian: persze (hu), hogyne (hu)
• Italian: certo (it)
• Japanese: もちろん (ja) (mochiron)
• Korean: 물론 (ko) (mullon)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: jepp, ja visst (no)

• Polish: oczywiście (pl), (exclamation) pewnie! (pl), naturalnie (pl)
• Portuguese: tá (pt), claro (pt), tudo bem (pt)
• Romanian: sigur (ro)
• Russian: коне́чно (ru) (konéčno)
• Slovak: určite
• Slovene: sevéda (sl)
• Spanish: por supuesto (es), claro (es)
• Swedish: visst (sv), jodå (sv), självklart (sv)
• Ukrainian: зві́сно (zvísno)

References

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

Anagrams

• U.S.-er, US'er, rues, useR, U.S.er, user, Ruse, Ersu, Rues, U.S.'er, Reus, suer, ruse, ures, US-er, ERUs

Danish

Adjective

sure

1. inflection of sur:
   1. definite singular
   2. plural

Finnish

Verb

sure

1. inflection of surra:
   1. present active indicative connegative
   2. second-person singular present imperative
   3. second-person singular present active imperative connegative

Anagrams

• resu, seur.

French

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -yʁ

Adjective

sure

1. feminine singular of sur

Adjective

sure

1. Alternative spelling of sûre

Further reading

• “sure”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• rues
• ruse, rusé
• suer
• user

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsu.re/
• Rhymes: -ure
• Hyphenation: sù‧re

Noun

sure

1. plural of sura

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old French seür, from Latin sēcūrus. Doublet of siker.

Alternative forms

• sur, seur, seure, sewre, sewr, sewere, suer, suere, soure, suir, sere, sore

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɛu̯r/, /siu̯r/, /suːr/

Adjective

sure (comparative seurer)

1. safe, protected (not dangerous or harmful)
2. fortified, well-defended, protected; especially religiously
3. sure, certain, confirmed
4. sure-minded (certain of one's intent)
5. reliable, of good quality
6. sound, sturdy, hardy

Derived terms

• surely
• surement
• suren
• surenes
• surete

Descendants

• English: sure, sho, sho'
  • → Kashubian: szur (United States)
  • →⇒ Irish: siúráil
  • → Welsh: siwr
• Scots: shuir

References

• “seur, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-21.

Adverb

sure

1. sure, surely, with no doubt or uncertainty
2. entirely, wholly, fully
3. While protecting something, with protection
4. With a tight grasp or grip

Descendants

• English: sure
• Scots: shuir

References

• “seur, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-21.

Etymology 2

Verb

sure

1. Alternative form of suren

Etymology 3

Noun

sure

1. Alternative form of sire

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Arabic سُورَة (sūra, “chapter of the Qur'an”).

Alternative forms

• sura

Noun

sure m (definite singular suren, indefinite plural surer, definite plural surene)

1. (Islam) a sura (any of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective

sure

1. definite singular of sur
2. plural of sur

References

• “sure” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “sure” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Anagrams

• ruse, suer, ures

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Arabic سُورَة (sūra, “chapter of the Qur'an”).

Alternative forms

• sura

Noun

sure m (definite singular suren, indefinite plural surar, definite plural surane)

1. (Islam) a sura (any of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective

sure

1. definite singular of sur
2. plural of sur

References

• “sure” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Anagrams

• ruse, suer

Old English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsuː.re/

Noun

sūre f

1. (botany) sorrel

Descendants

• Middle English: soure, sure, shoure
  • Yola: zour

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• 𑀲𑀼𑀭𑁂 (Brahmi script)
• सुरे (Devanagari script)
• সুরে (Bengali script)
• සුරෙ (Sinhalese script)
• သုရေ (Burmese script)
• สุเร (Thai script)
• ᩈᩩᩁᩮ (Tai Tham script)
• ສຸເຣ (Lao script)
• សុរេ (Khmer script)
• 𑄥𑄪𑄢𑄬 (Chakma script)

Noun

sure

1. vocative singular of surā (“a class of liquor”)

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsure/

Adjective

sure

1. inflection of sur:
   1. genitive/dative feminine singular
   2. nominative/accusative/genitive/dative feminine/neuter plural

Swedish

Adjective

sure

1. definite natural masculine singular of sur

Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish سوره (sure), from Arabic سُورَة (sūra).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /suːˈɾe/

Noun

sure (definite accusative sureyi, plural sureler)

1. sura

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	sure
Definite accusative	sureyi
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	sure	sureler
Definite accusative	sureyi	sureleri
Dative	sureye	surelere
Locative	surede	surelerde
Ablative	sureden	surelerden
Genitive	surenin	surelerin