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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

guess what en · X

Pronunciation

Etymology

Perhaps an ellipsis of "(can you) guess what I am about to say/what happened next?"

Meanings

  1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see guess, what.
  2. (idiomatic, qualifier:by ellipsis; rhetoric question; by ellipsis; rhetoric question) Used to introduce a surprising outcome or one that the hearer is not expected to try to guess.
    • Guess what the top two success drivers were from his detailed research: a unique, superior, differentiated product; strong market orientation and voice of the customer built in. Guess what the top two deficiencies were: lack of market orientation; poor quality of execution. 2007, David Richmond, The Software Entrepreneur’s Template, page 15:
    • Have you ever said “abracadabra”, “hocus pocus”, or “presto chango”? Well, guess what? You were casting a spell! 2011, Jen Jones, The Girl's Guide to Wizards: Everything Magical about These Spellbinders, page 17:
    • She started down on one end, and whether she knew you or not, she walked right up to you, got six inches away from your face, and said, “Guess what, I won!” 2011, Bob Merritt, When Life's Not Working: 7 Simple Choices for a Better Tomorrow, page 57:
  3. (idiomatic) Used to dramatize the introduction of an unsurprising outcome.
    • I've only had two job interviews and – guess what – no job offers.
    • Yesterday evening at 6:30 P.M. there's a new charge nurse, he's going to give me my seizure medication and guess what? There isn't any! 2011, Sandra Gila, Vortex: The Journey of a Nursing Home Survivor, page 160:

Synonyms

you know what (used to dramatize the unsurprising)

Translations (16)

fr devine quoi (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · sv gissa vad (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · ru прикинь (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · it indovina (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · es adivina qué (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · nds-de raad mal (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · de rate mal (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · pl wiesz co (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · fr je te le donne en mille (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · pt adivinha (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · ro ghici ce (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · tr bil bakalım ne oldu (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · fi arvaa mitä (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · pt adivinha só (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · nl raad eens (used to dramatize the unsurprising) · cmn 你猜怎麽着 (used to dramatize the unsurprising)