Definitions and meaning of sure sure
Alternative forms
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 ” ) ), Middle English siker ( “ sure, secure ” ) (from Old English sicor ( “ secure, sure ” ) ) with which 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/ , /ʃɔː/ , /ʃɜː/
( General Australian, New Zealand ) IPA(key) : /ʃoː/
( General American ) IPA(key) : /ʃʊɹ/ , /ʃɔɹ/ , /ʃɚ/
( Canada ) IPA(key) : /ʃɔɹ/ , /ʃɚ/
( NYC ) IPA(key) : /ʃuɚ/
( non-rhotic, show-sure merger, AAVE ) IPA(key) : /ʃoʊ/
( obsolete ) IPA(key) : /sjʊəɹ/ , /sjuːɹ/ , /sɪʊ̯ɹ/
Homophone: shore ( with the cure-force merger )
Homophones: shaw , Shaw ( in non-rhotic dialects with the paw-poor merger )
Homophone: show ( in non-rhotic dialects with the show-sure merger )
Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ) , -ɔː(ɹ)
Adjective
sure (comparative surer , superlative surest )
Physically secure and certain, non-failing, reliable.
Certain in one's knowledge or belief.
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.
( followed by a to infinitive ) Certain to act or be a specified way.
( obsolete ) Free from danger; safe; secure.
( 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.
Synonyms
( secure and steadfast ) : certain , failsafe , reliable , sicker
( steadfast in one's knowledge or belief ) : certain , positive , wis
Derived terms
Pages starting with “sure” .
Descendants
→ ⇒ Irish: siúráil
→ Welsh: siwr
Translations
Adverb
sure (comparative more sure , superlative most sure )
( modal adverb ) Without doubt, certainly.
Sure he's coming! Why wouldn't he?
"Did you kill that bear yourself?" ―"I sure did!"
( archaic ) Without fail, surely.
Usage notes
Often proscribed in favor of surely . May be informal.
Interjection
sure
Yes, expressing noncommittal agreement or consent .
Yes; of course.
You're welcome; polite response to being thanked .
Synonyms
( noncommittal yes ) : OK , yes
( response to being thanked ) : of course
Translations
References
1996, T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Etymology , Oxford University Press, →ISBN
Anagrams
ERUs , Ersu , Reus , Rues , Ruse , US'er , rues , ruse , suer , ures , user
Danish
Adjective
sure
inflection of sur :
definite singular
plural
Finnish
Verb
sure
inflection of surra :
present active indicative connegative
second-person singular present imperative
second-person singular present active imperative connegative
Anagrams
French
Pronunciation
Adjective
sure
feminine singular of sur
Adjective
sure
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
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 )
safe, protected ( not dangerous or harmful )
fortified, well-defended, protected; especially religiously
sure , certain, confirmed
sure -minded ( certain of one's intent )
reliable, of good quality
sound, sturdy, hardy
Derived terms
surely
surement
suren
surenes
surete
Descendants
English: sure → ⇒ 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
sure , surely, with no doubt or uncertainty
entirely, wholly, fully
While protecting something, with protection
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
Alternative form of suren
Etymology 3
Noun
sure
Alternative form of sire
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology 1
From Arabic سُورَة ( sūra , “ chapter of the Qur'an ” ) .
Alternative forms
Noun
sure m (definite singular suren , indefinite plural surer , definite plural surene )
( Islam ) a sura ( any of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an )
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Adjective
sure
definite singular of sur
plural of sur
References
“sure” in The Bokmål Dictionary .
“sure” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB ).
Anagrams
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology 1
From Arabic سُورَة ( sūra , “ chapter of the Qur'an ” ) .
Alternative forms
Noun
sure m (definite singular suren , indefinite plural surar , definite plural surane )
( Islam ) a sura ( any of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an )
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Adjective
sure
definite singular of sur
plural of sur
References
“sure” in The Nynorsk Dictionary .
Anagrams
Old English
Etymology
From Germanic , related to sūr ( “ sour ” ) .
Pronunciation
Noun
sūre f
( botany ) sorrel
Descendants
Middle English: soure , sure , shoure
Pali
Alternative forms
Noun
sure
vocative singular of surā ( “ a class of liquor ” )
Romanian
Pronunciation
Adjective
sure
inflection of sur :
genitive/ dative feminine singular
nominative/ accusative/ genitive/ dative feminine/ neuter plural
Swedish
Adjective
sure
definite natural masculine singular of sur
Turkish
Etymology
From Ottoman Turkish سوره ( sure ) , from Arabic سُورَة ( sūra ) .
Pronunciation
Noun
sure (definite accusative sureyi , plural sureler )
sura
Declension
Source: wiktionary.org