INDEX:
1. when something is definitely true
2. when something will definitely happen
3. certain or definite
4. certain to win or succeed
5. certain to fail or end in a bad way
6. when something is certain and impossible to avoid
7. to make certain that something will happen
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ DOUBT
when you feel sure that something is true : ↑ SURE/NOT SURE
to think that something is true but not be sure : ↑ THINK
see also
↑ POSSIBLE
↑ MAYBE
↑ PROBABLY
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1. when something is definitely true
▷ certainly/definitely /ˈsɜːʳtnli, ˈdefə̇nə̇tli/ [adverb]
use this to emphasize that something is definitely true. Definitely is more common in spoken English than certainly :
▪ Incredible as they seem, these events certainly took place.
▪ We don’t know exactly when the house was built, but it’s certainly over 200 years old.
▪ I definitely posted the cheque last week, so it should have arrived by now.
▪ ‘I think it would be a great opportunity.’ ‘Yeah, definitely.’
definitely/certainly not
▪ ‘She’s not thinking of going back out with Simon again?’ ‘No, definitely not.’
▷ undoubtedly/unquestionably/without doubt/without a doubt /ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli, ʌnˈdaʊtədli, ʌnˈkwestʃ ə nəbli, wɪðˌaʊt ˈdaʊt, wɪðˌaʊt ə ˈdaʊt/ [adverb]
use this to say that, in your opinion, something is definitely true about someone or something :
▪ The years my parents spent in Kenya were undoubtedly the happiest of their lives.
▪ Japan has unquestionably one of the most successful economies in the world.
▪ Without a doubt, taxation is going to be the key issue in the President’s campaign.
▷ there’s no doubt/there’s no question /ðeəʳz ˌnəʊ ˈdaʊt, ðeəʳz ˌnəʊ ˈkwestʃən/
use this to say that, in your opinion, something definitely is true about someone or something :
there’s no doubt/there’s no question that
▪ There’s no doubt that he completely dominates her.
▪ There is no question that Maridan had known all about the deal.
▪ There was no doubt that, without the peacekeeping force, the civil war would have continued.
there’s no doubt/there’s no question about it/about that
▪ You can see they’re short of staff -- there’s no doubt about it.
▪ ‘We made some mistakes. No question about that,’ Glavine said.
▷ beyond a shadow of a doubt /bɪˌjɒnd ə ˌʃædəʊ əv ə ˈdaʊtǁbɪˌjɑːnd-/ [adverb]
use this to say that, in your opinion, there is definitely no doubt at all that something is true :
▪ The evidence proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this man was in the victim’s apartment on the day of the murder.
▷ surely /ˈʃʊəʳli/ [adverb] spoken
say this when you want to emphasize that something must be true and you want the person you are talking to to agree with you :
▪ Surely he must have realized that the money was stolen.
▪ ‘I’m not sure how the heating system works.’ ‘Surely it can’t be that complicated.’
▪ Your car must be worth more than $500, surely!
▷ be beyond dispute /biː bɪˌjɒnd dɪˈspjuːtǁ-ˌjɑːnd-/ [verb phrase]
if something is beyond dispute it certainly happened or exists and no one thinks differently :
▪ Her professionalism is beyond dispute.
▪ That the reports were stolen is beyond dispute. What we need to know is who took them.
2. when something will definitely happen
▷ certainly/definitely /ˈsɜːʳtnli, ˈdefə̇nə̇tli/ [adverb]
use this to say that you are completely sure that something will happen or that someone will do something. Definitely is more common in spoken English than certainly :
▪ I’ll certainly be glad when this course is over.
▪ Roger and Andy are definitely coming, but I’m not sure about Nancy.
▪ We’ll certainly be back by 7 o'clock.
▪ Owen is injured and will definitely miss the game on Saturday.
▷ for sure /fəʳ ˈʃʊəʳ/ [adverb] informal
if you say that something will happen for sure, you mean it will certainly happen :
▪ Yeah, you’ll see him. He’ll be there for sure.
▪ Milan are going to win the cup for sure. They’re just such a strong team.
that’s for sure
▪ She’ll come home when she runs out of money, that’s for sure.
▷ be bound to/be sure to/be certain to /biː ˈbaʊnd tuː, biː ˈʃʊəʳ tuː, biː ˈsɜːʳtn tuː/ [verb phrase]
if something is bound to happen it is certain to happen, especially because that is what always happens :
▪ The kids are bound to be hungry when they get home -- they always are.
▪ My car broke down today. It was bound to happen sooner or later.
▪ Have you asked Ted? He’s sure to know.
▪ The drop in prices and lack of demand are certain to affect the manufacturing industry.
▷ it’s only/just a matter of time /biː ˌəʊnli, ˌdʒʌst ə ˌmætər əv ˈtaɪm/ [verb phrase]
use this to say that something is certain to happen but no one knows exactly when :
▪ You’ll learn how to do it eventually -- it’s only a matter of time.
▪ Your father is dying and there’s nothing we can do. I’m afraid it’s just a matter of time.
it’s only/just a matter of time before
▪ It was only a matter of time before Lynn found out Phil’s secret.
▷ cut and dried /ˌkʌt ən ˈdraɪd◂/ [adjective phrase]
if something is cut and dried, it is certain to happen in a particular way because it has already been planned or decided, and nothing can be done to change it :
▪ My future was cut and dried. I would join my father’s firm, and take it over when he retired.
▪ We made the arrangements weeks ago. It’s all cut and dried.
▷ be a certainty /biː ə ˈsɜːʳtnti/ [verb phrase]
if something is a certainty, it is certain to happen, especially because the situation has changed and made it certain :
▪ Johnson was the fastest man on earth, and a gold medal seemed a certainty.
▪ Being left alone in her old age, the fate she had always feared, now became a certainty.
▷ be a foregone conclusion /biː ə ˌfɔːʳgɒn kənˈkluːʒ ə nǁ-gɔːn-/ [verb phrase]
if something, especially a result, is a foregone conclusion, it is certain to happen even though it has not yet been officially decided :
▪ Ian’s bound to get the job -- it’s a foregone conclusion.
▪ The outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion.
3. certain or definite
▷ certain /ˈsɜːʳtn/ [adjective]
▪ Computer prices will continue to fall - that’s certain.
it is certain (that)
▪ Nobody knows exactly who built the manor, but it is certain that an architect called John Sturges supplied the drawings.
almost certain
▪ As the results came in, it was now almost certain that Ken Livingstone would be the new Mayor of London.
certain death/failure/disaster etc
▪ Ignoring all warnings, the general led his men to certain death.
▷ definite /ˈdefɪnɪt, ˈdefɪnət, ˈdef ə nə̇t/ [adjective]
if something is definite, it is certain because someone has officially stated that it will happen, is true etc :
▪ I’ve got a good chance of getting the job, but it’s not definite yet.
▪ We have some statistics, but we really need something more definite before we can make any firm decisions.
definite answer
▪ I don’t know what time she’s coming. She won’t give me a definite answer.
▷ conclusive /kənˈkluːsɪv/ [adjective]
conclusive proof/evidence/argument etc
proof etc that is certainly true and cannot be doubted :
▪ We still have no conclusive proof that Walters was at the scene of the crime.
▪ They have been able to collect some data, but as yet nothing really conclusive.
conclusively [adverb]
▪ The documents show conclusively that Pickering was aware of, and took part in, corrupt deals.
4. certain to win or succeed
▷ be destined to /biː ˈdestə̇nd tuː/ [verb phrase]
if someone is destined to do or become something, they will certainly do it or become it, especially something that will make them famous or admired :
▪ She was convinced that her little boy was destined to become President.
▪ Clara worked in a factory and sang in clubs at weekends - but even then you could tell that she was destined to become a star.
▷ be assured of /biː əˈʃʊəʳd ɒv/ [verb phrase] formal
to be certain to get something good or to be successful :
▪ After the success of its recent single, the band is now assured of a contract with a major record company.
▪ Our clients are assured of comfortable accommodation and the attention of our trained staff.
▷ somebody/something is a dead cert / somebody/something ɪz ə ˌded ˈsɜːʳt/ spoken informal
use this to say that someone or something will definitely win or succeed :
▪ I’m betting on Sceptre. He’s a dead cert to win the Gold Cup.
▷ can’t go wrong /ˌkɑːnt gəʊ ˈrɒŋǁˌkænt gəʊ ˈrɔːŋ/ [verb phrase] spoken
use this to say that something or someone will definitely be successful :
▪ We’ve been through the plan a dozen times. It can’t go wrong.
▪ Just follow the instructions and you can’t go wrong.
▷ it’s in the bag /ɪts ˌɪn ðə ˈbæg/ spoken informal
use this to say that you will certainly get something you want, or something you want will certainly happen, because you have almost got it or it has almost happened already :
▪ You’re bound to get Bill’s job when he leaves - it’s in the bag.
be in the bag
▪ If we win the next game, the championship’s in the bag.
▷ it’s a safe bet/it’s a sure bet/it’s a sure thing /ɪts ə ˌseɪf ˈbet, ɪts ə ˌʃʊəʳ ˈbet, ɪts ə ˌʃʊəʳ ˈθɪŋ/
use this to say that it is almost certain something will happen because of what you know of the situation :
▪ I told my friends it was a sure thing, and they bet every last penny on that horse of yours.
it’s a safe bet/it’s a sure bet/it’s a sure thing (that)
▪ If the President supports him it’s a sure bet that he’ll get a seat in Congress.
▪ As it was the first concert of the season it was a safe bet all the critics would be there.
▷ foolproof /ˈfuːlpruːf/ [adjective]
a foolproof plan or method is one that is certain to work and be successful :
▪ A pasta book is a foolproof gift for anyone who cooks.
foolproof method/system/plan etc
▪ The new speech recognition system is not absolutely foolproof, but it is a huge breakthrough.
▪ The gang hit on a seemingly foolproof way of getting drugs into the country.
5. certain to fail or end in a bad way
▷ doomed /duːmd/ [adjective]
if someone or something is doomed, it is certain that they will die, fail, or end in a very bad way :
▪ The film is about a set of aliens living on a doomed planet.
doomed to
▪ Without his job, his family would be doomed to a life of deprivation.
doomed to do something
▪ Marx taught that capitalist economies are eventually doomed to collapse.
doomed to failure/disappointment/extinction etc
▪ In the novel, Jude’s marriage is doomed to failure from the start.
▷ be fated to do something /biː ˌfeɪtə̇d tə ˈduː something/ [verb phrase]
if something, especially something bad, is fated to happen, it seems that it is certain to happen because of some mysterious force that you cannot control :
▪ It seems that she was fated to be alone in life.
▪ Achilles was kept back by his mother. She knew that if he went to Troy he was fated to die there.
6. when something is certain and impossible to avoid
▷ inevitable /ɪˈnevɪtəb ə l, ɪˈnevətəb ə l/ [adjective]
▪ War now seems inevitable.
▪ Nina could never escape the inevitable comparisons that people made between her and her twin.
inevitable result/consequence
▪ If the population continues to expand, Ehrlich argues, mass starvation and ecological disaster will be the inevitable consequence.
▪ The price of bread was doubled, with the inevitable result - riots in the streets of Paris.
it is inevitable (that)
▪ It was inevitable that he’d find out her secret sooner or later.
inevitably [adverb]
▪ Tax cuts for the rich inevitably lead to worse provision for the poor.
▷ whether you like it or not /weðəʳ juː ˌlaɪk ɪt ɔːʳ ˈnɒt/
use this to tell someone that something is certain to happen and that they cannot prevent it even if they do not like it :
▪ You’re going to have to face him one day, whether you like it or not.
▪ Whether she likes it or not, she’s got to accept that her kids are grown up now.
▷ predestined /prɪˈdestɪnd, prɪˈdestənd/ [adjective]
something that is predestined will certainly happen and cannot be changed because it has been decided in advance by a power or force beyond our control :
▪ Life isn’t a series of predestined events: we have some control over what happens.
predestined to do something
▪ Many religions teach that man is predestined to suffer.
▷ be meant to be /biː ˌment tə ˈbiː/ [verb phrase]
if you know that a situation is meant to be you know it is certain to happen, especially because it is right and suitable :
▪ We tried to be happy together but it was never meant to be.
▪ Although saying goodbye was painful, she knew it was meant to be.
▷ the inevitable /ði ɪˈnevə̇təb ə l/ [singular noun]
something that is definitely going to happen and cannot be avoided or prevented :
▪ It’s time they accepted the inevitable and got a divorce.
bow to the inevitable
accept something that cannot be prevented
▪ Week after week the papers were full of revelations about the minister’s alleged corrupt dealings, until eventually he bowed to the inevitable and resigned.
7. to make certain that something will happen
▷ make sure/make certain /meɪk ˈʃʊəʳ, meɪk ˈsɜːʳtn/ [verb phrase]
Make sure is more common in spoken English than make certain :
▪ I think Harry knows the way, but I’ll go with him just to make sure.
make sure/make certain (that)
▪ Make sure you lock your car.
▪ You must make sure that your dog is vaccinated against illness.
▪ The producer must make certain there is enough material to fill the one-hour programme.
▷ insure/ensure also ensure British /ɪnˈʃʊəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to do something in order to be certain that something will happen in the way you want it to :
▪ To insure accuracy, three consultants worked closely with the producer during filming.
insure/ensure that
▪ It is important to insure that universities have enough funds to carry out important research.
▪ A new television campaign has been launched to ensure that the victims are not forgotten.
▷ see that/see to it that /ˈsiː ðət, ˈsiː tʊ it ðət/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
to make sure that something someone has asked you to do is done :
▪ I’ll see that Jason isn’t late for school again!
▪ Will you please see to it that this work is finished by the end of the week.
see to it
▪ ‘This letter must be posted today.’ ‘Don’t worry, I’ll see to it.’