What does surmise mean?
Word: Surmise
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Surmise means to form an idea from the little evidence you have, without being certain.
Synonyms: infer, suppose
Word origin: Came into English through Old French.
How do you spell surmise?
Syllables: sur - mise
Tricky part: The letter z is the trap. The end seems to need one, but this word only ever takes ise.
Watch out for: surmize, surmyse, surmice
Memory tip: Advise and revise never take a z. Put this verb in that same group.
Surmise in a sentence
Example 1: Looking at the grey clouds, we surmised that the match would be delayed.
Example 2: Historians surmise that the old well once served the whole village.
Example 3: He surmised from her smile that the results were good.
Fun Fact
John Keats used the noun in a famous sonnet of 1816, where explorers look at each other 'with a wild surmise'.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
s_rmise
a) a
b) e
c) i
d) u
Show answer
d) u. The word opens exactly as surprise and survive do.
Sound Check
In which word is 'ise' pronounced differently?
a) surmise
b) comprise
c) promise
d) disguise
Show answer
c) promise. Promise has a short is sound at the end; the others end like the word eyes.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
From the muddy shoes by the door, Riya could only ____ that her brother was home.
a) surprise
b) sunrise
c) surmise
d) supervise
Show answer
c) surmise. Riya is working it out from a small clue, so this verb fits.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its synonym:
1. surmise 2. reprimand 3. hasten a. hurry b. guess c. scold
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
Show answer
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a. To reprimand a pupil is to scold, and to hasten is to hurry.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which sentence shows someone surmising?
a) 'I watched her lock the door and leave at six.'
b) 'She told me herself that she is going out.'
c) 'Her note says that she has gone to the shops.'
d) 'Her lights are off, so she has probably gone out.'
Show answer
d) 'Her lights are off, so she has probably gone out.'
2. How sure are you when you surmise something?
a) fairly sure, but without proof
b) certain that it is false
c) not at all interested in it
d) completely sure, with full proof
Show answer
a) fairly sure, but without proof
