Library / English Dictionary

SURMISE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

Synonyms:

conjecture; guess; hypothesis; speculation; supposition; surmisal; surmise

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("surmise" is a kind of...):

opinion; view (a message expressing a belief about something; the expression of a belief that is held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "surmise"):

divination (successful conjecture by unusual insight or good luck)

Derivation:

surmise (infer from incomplete evidence)

surmise (imagine to be the case or true or probable)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Infer from incomplete evidence

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "surmise" is one way to...):

deduce; deduct; derive; infer (reason by deduction; establish by deduction)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

surmisal; surmise (a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Imagine to be the case or true or probable

Example:

I surmised that the butler did it

Synonyms:

surmise; suspect

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "surmise" is one way to...):

guess; hazard; pretend; venture (put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

surmise (a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence)

Credits

 Context examples: 

A touch of red in nose and cheeks, with a slight tremor of his extended hand, recalled Holmes’ surmise as to his habits.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This bold surmise, however, she soon learnt comprehended but half the fact.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

“That is not an unnatural surmise,” said Fitzwilliam, “but it is a lessening of the honour of my cousin's triumph very sadly.”

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

He little surmised that it was a subject acting now exactly against his interest, bringing immediately to her thoughts all those parts of his conduct which were least excusable.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Researchers surmise that ancient farmers migrating there from Bolivia exposed A. duranensis plants to another species they had brought with them—A. ipaensis, considered the other parent of cultivated peanut.

(Peanut Genome Sequenced with Unprecedent Accuracy, U.S. Department of Agriculture)

"He merely surmises that there is some strain of dog in White Fang; but as he will tell you himself, he knows nothing about it. As for his appearance—" He did not finish his sentence.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Such a yell of welcome broke forth when his black beard first protruded round the corner that I began to suspect Tarp Henry was right in his surmise, and that this assemblage was there not merely for the sake of the lecture, but because it had got rumored abroad that the famous Professor would take part in the proceedings.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It is not possible but that you must have had some thoughts on the subject, some surmises as to what might be.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

My surmise is, this: that in London the Count decided to get back to his castle by water, as the most safe and secret way.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Harriet had not surmised her own danger, but the idea of it struck her forcibly.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)