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