SURMISE


Meaning of SURMISE in English

I. sə(r)ˈmīz verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: Middle English surmisen, from Middle French surmis, surmise, masculine & feminine past participle of surmetre to charge, accuse, probably from Latin supermittere to throw upon, from super- + mittere to throw — more at smite

transitive verb

: to imagine without certain knowledge : infer on slight grounds : form a notion of on slight proof : guess , suppose

then she knew that what before she but surmised was true — John Dryden

a delicate matter to surmise the thoughts of men — Emma Hawkridge

he surmised that this was the true situation

intransitive verb

: to make a surmise or guess : indulge in conjecture

Synonyms: see conjecture

II. sə(r)ˈmīz; ˈsərˌm-, ˈsə̄ˌ-, ˈsəiˌ- noun

( -s )

Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, accusation, from surmetre to charge, accuse

1. archaic

a. : suspicion 1

a very painful surmise arose concerning her character — Ann Radcliffe

b. : a slight trace or sign : suspicion 3

some faintest ineffectual surmise of mercy — Thomas Carlyle

2. obsolete : an unfounded allegation or charge

3. obsolete : the action of surmising or imagining

4. : a thought or idea based on scanty evidence : a random conclusion : conjecture , guess

what he expressed as a mere surmise was transcribed by others as a positive statement — Richard Semon

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.