adj.
Pronunciation: ' shu ̇ r, esp Southern ' sho ̇ r
Function: adjective
Inflected Form: sur · er ; sur · est
Etymology: Middle English seur, sure, from Anglo-French seur, from Latin securus secure
Date: 13th century
1 obsolete : safe from danger or harm
2 : firmly established : STEADFAST <a sure hold>
3 : RELIABLE , TRUSTWORTHY <a sure friend>
4 a : marked by or given to feelings of confident certainty <I'm sure I'm right> b : characterized by a lack of wavering or hesitation < sure brush strokes> <a sure hand>
5 : admitting of no doubt : INDISPUTABLE <spoke from sure knowledge>
6 a : bound to happen : INEVITABLE < sure disaster> b : BOUND , DESTINED <is sure to win>
7 : careful to remember, attend to, or find out something <be sure to lock the door>
– sure · ness noun
– for sure : without doubt or question : CERTAINLY
– to be sure : it must be acknowledged : ADMITTEDLY
synonyms SURE , CERTAIN , POSITIVE , COCKSURE mean having no doubt or uncertainty. SURE usually stresses the subjective or intuitive feeling of assurance <felt sure that I had forgotten something>. CERTAIN may apply to a basing of a conclusion or conviction on definite grounds or indubitable evidence <police are certain about the cause of the fire>. POSITIVE intensifies sureness or certainty and may imply opinionated conviction or forceful expression of it <I'm positive that's the person I saw>. COCKSURE implies presumptuous or careless positiveness <you're always so cocksure about everything>.