Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense guesses, present participle guessing, past tense, past participle guessed
1. verb
If you guess something, you give an answer or provide an opinion which may not be true because you do not have definite knowledge about the matter concerned.
The suit was faultless: Wood guessed that he was a very successful publisher or abanker. [VERB that]
You can only guess at what mental suffering they endure. [VERB + at]
Paula reached for her camera, guessed distance and exposure, and shot two frames. [VERB noun]
Guess what I did for the whole of the first week. [VERB wh]
If she guessed wrong, it meant twice as many meetings the following week. [VERB adverb]
[Also VERB with quote]
2. verb
If you guessthat something is the case, you correctly form the opinion that it is the case, although you do not have definiteknowledge about it.
By now you will have guessed that I'm back in Ireland. [VERB that]
As you've probably guessed, the problem was electrical. [VERB that]
He should have guessed what would happen. [VERB wh]
Someone might have guessed our secret and passed it on. [VERB noun]
3. countable noun [oft NOUN that, Nas to n/wh]
A guess is an attempt to give an answer or provide an opinion which may not be true because you do nothave definite knowledge about the matter concerned.
My guess is that the chance that these vaccines will work is zero.
He'd taken her pulse and made a guess at her blood pressure. [+ at]
Well, we can hazard a guess at the answer. [+ at]
Synonyms: estimate, reckoning, speculation, judgment More Synonyms of guess
4.
See anyone's guess/anybody's guess
5.
See at a guess
6.
See I guess
7.
See keep someone guessing
8.
See guess what
More Synonyms of guess
guess in British English
(ɡɛs)
verb(when tr, may take a clause as object)
1. (whenintr, often foll by at or about)
to form or express an uncertain estimate or conclusion (about something), based on insufficient information
guess what we're having for dinner
2.
to arrive at a correct estimate of (something) by guessing
he guessed my age
3. informal, mainly US and Canadian
to believe, think, or suppose (something)
I guess I'll go now
4. keep a person guessing
noun
5.
an estimate or conclusion arrived at by guessing
a bad guess
6.
the act of guessing
7. anyone's guess
Derived forms
guessable (ˈguessable)
adjective
guesser (ˈguesser)
noun
guessingly (ˈguessingly)
adverb
Word origin
C13: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Swedish gissa, Old Danish gitse, Middle Dutch gissen; see get
guess in American English
(gɛs)
verb transitive, verb intransitive
1.
to form a judgment or estimate of (something) without actual knowledge or enough facts for certainty; conjecture; surmise
2.
to judge correctly by doing this
3.
to think or suppose
I guess I can do it
noun
4.
the act of guessing
5.
a judgment or estimate formed by guessing; conjecture; surmise
SYNONYMY NOTE: guess implies the forming of a judgment or estimate (often a correct one) haphazardly [he guessed the number of beans in the jar]; to conjecture is to infer or predict from incomplete or uncertain evidence [I cannot conjecture what his plans are]; surmise implies a conjecturing through mere intuition or imagination [she surmised the truth]
Derived forms
guessable (ˈguessable)
adjective
guesser (ˈguesser)
noun
Word origin
ME gessen, to judge, estimate, prob. < MDu, akin to Dan gisse, Swed gissa, ON geta: for IE base see get
Examples of 'guess' in a sentence
guess
Guess who makes effective drugs for diabetics?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You can probably guess the answer to all three.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is just a guess, mind.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
If you take the last guess, you may guess wrong.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Who the lucky owner will be is anyone 's guess.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Now, guess the signs of early meningitis.
The Sun (2016)
Science connects reality to our guesses about it.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
Neither man could have guessed just how true that observation would turn out to be.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Your doc may take a guess in terms of months.
The Sun (2009)
He quickly handed her back to her father after wrongly guessing her age.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Anybody want to guess what my wife weighed in with?
Christianity Today (2000)
You would hazard a guess there are some huge strings attached.
The Sun (2010)
Now take a wild guess who that could be.
The Sun (2007)
You will have guessed the answer already.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You get no points for guessing what happens next.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
You forced the opponents to take the last guess and now you are taking it yourself.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The available data only allow us to guess which is correct.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You have to make a wild guess and hope that the paint sticks.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He not only guessed wrong about the problems to which computers could be usefully applied.
Dyson, Freeman Infinite in All Directions (1989)
Wanna hazard a guess as to how this will play out?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What seem lucky guesses are winning answers in a gameshow.
The Sun (2006)
Swap roles if they guess correctly.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Whether it would be valid now is anyone 's guess.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
You're getting a website to guess your age?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Why it does this is anybody 's guess.
The Sun (2009)
Where all this will end up is anyone 's guess.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
That's pretty precise for a wild guess.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
You will imagine them guessing correctly about 50 per cent of the time.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
I suppose the managers just have to guess.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He says: 'I guess it was verging on the ridiculous to work so much on just one record.
The Sun (2010)
Quotations
The shrewd guess, the fertile hypothesis, the courageous leap to a tentative conclusion - these are the most valuable coin of the thinker at workJerome S. BrunerThe Process of Education
I never guess. It is a shocking habit - destructive to the logical facultySir Arthur Conan DoyleThe Sign of Four
In other languages
guess
British English: guess /ɡɛs/ NOUN
A guess is an attempt to give an answer or provide an opinion when you do not know if it is true.
If you don't know, just have a guess.
American English: guess
Arabic: تَخْمين
Brazilian Portuguese: suposição
Chinese: 猜测
Croatian: nagađanje
Czech: odhad
Danish: gæt
Dutch: gissing
European Spanish: suposición
Finnish: arvaus
French: hypothèse
German: Vermutung
Greek: εικασία
Italian: supposizione
Japanese: 推測
Korean: 추측
Norwegian: gjetning
Polish: przypuszczenie
European Portuguese: suposição
Romanian: încercare de a ghici
Russian: догадка
Latin American Spanish: suposición
Swedish: gissning
Thai: การคาดคะเน
Turkish: tahmin
Ukrainian: здогадка
Vietnamese: ước đoán
British English: guess /ɡɛs/ VERB
If you guess something, you give an answer or provide an opinion when you do not know if it is true.
She guessed that he was about 40 years old.
American English: guess
Arabic: يُخمِن
Brazilian Portuguese: adivinhar
Chinese: 猜测
Croatian: nagađati
Czech: odhadnout
Danish: gætte
Dutch: raden
European Spanish: adivinar
Finnish: arvata
French: deviner
German: schätzen raten/denken
Greek: μαντεύω
Italian: indovinare
Japanese: 推測する
Korean: 추측하다
Norwegian: gjette
Polish: domyślić się
European Portuguese: adivinhar
Romanian: a presupune
Russian: догадываться
Latin American Spanish: adivinar
Swedish: gissa
Thai: คาดคะเน
Turkish: tahmin etmek
Ukrainian: здогадуватися
Vietnamese: đoán
All related terms of 'guess'
I guess
You say I guess to show that you are slightly uncertain or reluctant about what you are saying .
guess what
You say guess what to draw attention to something exciting , surprising , or interesting that you are about to say.
at a guess
You say at a guess to indicate that what you are saying is only an estimate or what you believe to be true , rather than being a definite fact .
second-guess
If you try to second-guess something, you try to guess in advance what someone will do or what will happen .
anyone's guess
something difficult to predict
educated guess
An educated guess is a guess which is based on a certain amount of knowledge and is therefore likely to be correct.
guess the outcome
The outcome of an activity, process, or situation is the situation that exists at the end of it.
miss one's guess
to fail to guess or predict accurately
anyone's guess/anybody's guess
If you say that something is anyone's guess or anybody's guess , you mean that no-one can be certain about what is really true .
guess what/do you know what
You say guess what or do you know what to introduce a piece of information which is surprising , which is not generally known , or which you want to emphasize .
to arrive at a correct estimate of (something) by guessing
I can only guess what it cost her to tell you the truth.
Synonyms
estimate
Officials estimate it will be two days before electricity is restored to the island.
predict
work out
speculate
The reader can speculate about what will happen next.
fathom
conjecture
postulate
surmise
She surmised that they had discovered one of the illegal streets.
hazard a guess
I would hazard a guess that they'll do fairly well.
hypothesize
Opposites
know
,
show
,
prove
,
be sure
,
be certain
2 (verb)
Definition
to think or suppose
I guess I'm just being paranoid.
Synonyms
suppose
The problem was more complex than he supposed.
think
I think he'll do a great job for us.
believe
I believe you have something of mine.
suspect
I suspect they were right.
judge
It is important to judge the weight of your washing load.
imagine
I imagine you're referring to me.
reckon (informal)
He reckoned he was still fond of her.
fancy
She fancied he was trying to hide a smile.
conjecture
This may or may not be true; we are all conjecturing here.
dare say
1 (noun)
Definition
an estimate or conclusion arrived at by guessing
He took her pulse and made a guess at her blood pressure.
Synonyms
estimate
This figure is five times the original estimate.
reckoning
speculation
I had published my speculations about the future of the universe.
judgment
hypothesis
conjecture
Your assertion is merely a conjecture, not a fact.
surmise
Her surmise proved correct.
shot in the dark
ballpark figure (informal)
Opposites
fact
,
certainty
2 (noun)
My guess is that she's waiting for you to make the first move.
Synonyms
supposition
There's a popular supposition that we're publicly funded.
feeling
I have a feeling that everything will come right for us.
idea
I had an idea that he joined the army later.
theory
There is a theory that they met each other a few years ago.
notion
the notion that musical ability is present from birth
He has a realistic notion of his capabilities.
suspicion
I have a sneaking suspicion that they are going to succeed.
hypothesis
Different hypotheses have been put forward.
Quotations
The shrewd guess, the fertile hypothesis, the courageous leap to a tentative conclusion - these are the most valuable coin of the thinker at work [Jerome S. Bruner – The Process of Education]I never guess. It is a shocking habit - destructive to the logical faculty [Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – The Sign of Four]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of believe
Definition
to think, assume, or suppose
I believe you have something of mine.
Synonyms
think,
consider,
judge,
suppose,
maintain,
estimate,
imagine,
assume,
gather,
guess (informal),
reckon,
conclude,
deem,
speculate,
presume,
conjecture,
postulate (formal),
surmise
in the sense of conjecture
Definition
to form (an opinion or conclusion) from incomplete evidence
This may or may not be true; we are all conjecturing here.
Synonyms
guess,
speculate,
surmise,
theorize,
suppose,
imagine,
assume,
fancy,
infer,
hypothesize,
suspect
in the sense of conjecture
Definition
a guess
Your assertion is merely a conjecture, not a fact.