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Surmise - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

Surmise means to form an opinion or guess about something without having complete evidence. It is often based on limited information or intuition rather than facts.

surmise

/sɚˈmaɪz/ /səˈmaɪz/

Definition:

To infer or guess something without firm evidence.

Synonyms:

deduce, infer, conjecture, speculate

Part of Speech:

verb, noun

Antonyms:

know, confirm

Common Collocations:

make a surmise, based on surmise, wild surmise

Derivatives:

surmiser, surmisingly

Usage Tips:

Use "surmise" when making an educated guess based on incomplete information; avoid overconfidence in conclusions.

Common Phrases:

leap to a surmise, hazard a surmise, mere surmise

Etymology:

From Old French "surmettre," meaning to accuse, later evolving to mean infer or suppose in English.

Examples:

  • 1. She could only surmise his intentions from his vague message.
  • 2. The detective’s quick surmise led to the suspect’s arrest.
  • 3. Without proof, her theory remained a mere surmise.
  • 4. He didn’t say why he left, but I can surmise the reason.

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