surmise

UK: /sɜː^rˈmaɪz/

US: /sɚˈmaɪz; n. also ˈsɝmaɪz/

US: (v. sər mīz′; n. sər mīz′, sûr′mīz)

Inflections of 'surmise' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

surmises

v 3rd person singular

surmising

v pres p

surmised

v past

surmised

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sur•mise /sɚˈmaɪz; n. also ˈsɜrmaɪz/   v., -mised, -mis•ing, n. 
v. 

1. to guess without strong evidence;
   conjecture: [~ + object]
   She surmised the truth about him.
   [~ + that clause]
   She surmised that he was up for promotion.

n. [countable]

2. an idea of something as being possible or likely.

See -mis-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sur•mise  (v. sər mīz′;n. sər mīz′, sûr′mīz), v., -mised, -mis•ing, n. 
v.t.  

1. to think or infer without certain or strong evidence;
   conjecture;
   guess.

v.i. 

2. to conjecture or guess.

n. 

3. a matter of conjecture.
4. an idea or thought of something as being possible or likely.
5. a conjecture or opinion.

• Latin missus, missa, equivalent. to mit(tere) to send + -tus, -ta past participle suffix
• Latin supermittere to throw upon), equivalent. to sur- sur-¹ + mis (masculine), mise (feminine)
• Anglo-French surmis(e), Middle French (past participle of surmettre to accuse
• Middle English surmisen 1350–1400

sur•mis′a•ble, adj. 
sur•mised•ly  (sər mīzd′lē, -mī′zid-), adv.  sur•mis′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. imagine, suppose, suspect. See guess. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

surmise verb / sɜːˈmaɪz/

1. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to infer (something) from incomplete or uncertain evidence

noun / sɜːˈmaɪz ˈsɜːmaɪz/

1. an idea inferred from inconclusive evidence
   Also (rare): surmisal

Etymology: 15th Century: from Old French, from surmettre to accuse, from Latin supermittere to throw over, from super- + mittere to send