to be sure

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Adverb

to be sure (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Certainly, undoubtedly, admittedly.

   I don't hate him. To be sure, we're not best buddies, but hate is a strong word.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     They call themselves gentlemen, I warrant you; but, as my first husband used to say, they should remember it is we that pay them. And to be sure it is very hard upon us to be obliged to pay them, and to keep 'um too, as we publicans are.

   • 1862, Wyndham Smith, Once a Week:

     “Good-night, Captain, many thanks. You did it uncommonly well; how kindly the old un swallowed the spice-nut, to be sure; and it is only one of many others he has swallowed within these two days. I am afraid in about another four-and-twenty hours they will begin to disagree with him unless his stomach is a very strong one.”

   • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 13]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:

     But to be sure baby was as good as gold, a perfect little dote in his new fancy bib.

Synonyms

• absolutely, by all means, unquestionably

Derived terms

• well, to be sure

Translations

certainly, undoubtedly, admittedly

• Gothic: 𐌰𐌿𐍆𐍄𐍉 (auftō)
• Hungarian: persze (hu), kétségkívül (hu), kétségtelenül (hu), ugyan (hu), éppenséggel (hu)
• Latin: nempe (la)

See also

• to be honest
• to be fair
• to be frank

Further reading

• “to be sure”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• tuberose