Dictionary

surely en · ADV

Pronunciation

• /ˈʃʊɹli/ (US)
• /ˈʃɔːli/ pour–poor merger
• (US) audio
• /ˈʃɝli/ (US)
• /ˈʃʊəli/ without the pour–poor merger
• /ˈʃɔɹli/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English surely; equivalent to sure + -ly.

Meanings

1. Without fail.
   • slowly but surely
2. (qualifier:sentence adverb) Certainly, undoubtedly.
   • Surely, you must be joking.
   • You don’t suppose we're going to pay for you, surely?
   • The money feels good / And your life you like it well / But surely your time will come / As in heaven, as in hell 1979, Paul Simonon, “The Guns of Brixton”, performed by The Clash:
   • But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window[…]. 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
   • Ted Striker: The stewardess said... both pilots?! Dr. Rumack: Can you fly this plane and land it? Ted Striker: Surely you can't be serious. Dr. Rumack: I am serious; and don't call me Shirley. 1980, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Airplane! (motion picture), Leslie Nielsen and Robert Hays (actors):
   • She’s surely got the letter by now.
   • Here perhaps one of you might interrupt me and say, 'But what is it that you do, Socrates? How is it that you have been misrepresented like this? Surely all this talk and gossip about you would never have arisen if you had confined yourself to ordinary activities, but only if your behaviour was abnormal. Give us the explanation, if you do not want us to draw our own conclusions.' 1993, Plato, translated by Hugh Tredennick and Harold Tarrant, “Justice and Duty (i): Socrates Speaks at his Trial: the Apology”, in The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics), revised edition, London; New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 41:
3. With confidence.
   • His feet were planted surely on the ground.
   • Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us[…]. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 1:1:

Forms

Deriveds

almost surely

Synonyms

wis · certainly

Translations (74)

bg уверено (with confidence) · ru обяза́тельно (without fail) · pt certamente (certainly, undoubtedly) · bg несъмнено (certainly, undoubtedly) · eo certe (certainly, undoubtedly) · ru уве́ренно (with confidence) · sv säkerligen (certainly, undoubtedly) · fi vakavasti (certainly, undoubtedly) · mk сигурно (certainly, undoubtedly) · fi varmasti (without fail) · de sicherlich (without fail) · lv droši (certainly, undoubtedly) · fi lujasti (with confidence) · pl z pewnością (certainly, undoubtedly) · grc δήπου (certainly, undoubtedly) · km ប្រាកដជា (certainly, undoubtedly) · sv minsann (certainly, undoubtedly) · pl pewnie (without fail) · tl tiyak (certainly, undoubtedly) · fi varmasti (certainly, undoubtedly) · no sikkert (without fail) · te తప్పక (without fail) · ru несомне́нно (certainly, undoubtedly) · ca segurament (without fail) · pl na pewno (certainly, undoubtedly) · it sicuramente (certainly, undoubtedly) · uk зві́сно (certainly, undoubtedly) · bg сигурно (without fail) · ja きっと (without fail) · ko 반드시 (without fail) · ru наверняка́ (certainly, undoubtedly) · no sikkert (certainly, undoubtedly) · liv julgstiz (certainly, undoubtedly) · es deber/haber de (certainly, undoubtedly) · fr sûrement (without fail) · de sicherlich (certainly, undoubtedly) · fr sûrement (certainly, undoubtedly) · ja てっきり (certainly, undoubtedly) · la quippe (certainly, undoubtedly) · ja 確かに (certainly, undoubtedly) · cmn 一定 (certainly, undoubtedly) · uk безсумні́вно (certainly, undoubtedly) · ja 必ず (without fail) · tl sigurado (certainly, undoubtedly) · sk určite (certainly, undoubtedly) · es seguramente (certainly, undoubtedly) · txb nemcek (certainly, undoubtedly) · ca segurament (certainly, undoubtedly) · la certē (certainly, undoubtedly) · el σίγουρα (certainly, undoubtedly) · is vissulega (certainly, undoubtedly) · tl piho (certainly, undoubtedly) · es seguro/fijo que (certainly, undoubtedly) · pon ahpw (certainly, undoubtedly) · et kindlalt (certainly, undoubtedly) · nl zeker (certainly, undoubtedly) · sv säkert (certainly, undoubtedly) · fi tukevasti (with confidence) · ru коне́чно (certainly, undoubtedly) · de bestimmt (without fail) · no trygt (with confidence) · fr sûrement (with confidence) · et kindlasti (certainly, undoubtedly) · ar بِالتَّأْكِيد (certainly, undoubtedly) · no sikkert (with confidence) · fr assurément (with confidence) · hy անկասկած (certainly, undoubtedly) · nl zeker weten (certainly, undoubtedly) · pl niewątpliwie (certainly, undoubtedly) · nl vast (certainly, undoubtedly) · pt seguramente (certainly, undoubtedly) · sv minsann (with confidence) · fr assurément (certainly, undoubtedly) · pl pewnie (with confidence)