SURMISE
guess, conjecture, supposition, surmise, surmisal, speculation, hypothesis
(noun) a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
surmise
(verb) infer from incomplete evidence
suspect, surmise
(verb) imagine to be the case or true or probable; “I suspect he is a fugitive”; “I surmised that the butler did it”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
surmise (countable and uncountable, plural surmises)
Thought, imagination, or conjecture, which may be based upon feeble or scanty evidence; suspicion; guess.
Reflection; thought; posit.
Verb
surmise (third-person singular simple present surmises, present participle surmising, simple past and past participle surmised)
To imagine or suspect; to conjecture; to posit with contestable premises.
Anagrams
• misuser
Source: Wiktionary
Sur*mise", n. Etym: [OF. surmise accusation, fr. surmettre, p.p. surmis, to impose, accuse; sur (see Sur-) + mettre to put, set, L. mittere to send. See Mission.]
1. A thought, imagination, or conjecture, which is based upon feeble or scanty evidence; suspicion; guess; as, the surmisses of jealousy or of envy. [We] double honor gain From his surmise proved false. Milton. No man ought to be charged with principles he actually disowns, unless his practicies contradict his profession; not upon small surmises. Swift.
2. Reflection; thought. [Obs.] Shak.
Syn.
– Conjecture; supposition; suspicion; doubt.
Sur*mise", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Surmised; p. pr. & vb. n. Surmising.]
Definition: To imagine without certain knowledge; to infer on slight grounds; to suppose, conjecture, or suspect; to guess. It wafted nearer yet, and then she knew That what before she but surmised, was true. Dryden. This change was not wrought by altering the form or position of the earth, as was surmised by a very learned man, but by dissolving it. Woodward.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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21 April 2025
ENCYCLOPEDIA
(noun) a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty
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