Surmise Meaning and Definition
Surmise
Pronunciation
/ˈsɝːrmɪs/
Part of Speech
Noun
Definition
A hypothesis or conclusion formed by surmising or making an educated guess; a conjecture or estimation based on incomplete or uncertain information.
Etymology
From Old French ‘surmis’, from Latin ‘surmiscare’, from ‘surmuscare’, to guess or surmise.
Usage Notes
Surmise is often used in formal or academic writing to refer to a tentative or provisional conclusion. It can also be used in informal contexts to refer to a personal opinion or estimate.
Cultural References
Surmise has appeared in various forms of media, including literature, film, and television. For example, in the movie “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” the character Zero surmises that a valuable painting is hidden in a fake hand.
Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases
- To surmise something is to make an educated guess or hypothesis about it.
Related Words or Phrases
- Guess
- Estimate
- Conjecture
Collocations
- To surmise that something is true
- To surmise a person’s intentions
Frequency of Use
Surmise is a less common word in modern language, but it is still used in formal and academic contexts.
Common Misspellings
- Surmis
- Surmize