GUESSING • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Guessing

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/gˈɛsɪŋ/ Listen

verb

Guess v. t. (past & past part. guessed; pres. part. guessing)

1.

To form an opinion concerning, without knowledge or means of knowledge; to judge of at random; to conjecture. "First, if thou canst, the harder reason guess."

2.

To judge or form an opinion of, from reasons that seem preponderating, but are not decisive. "We may then guess how far it was from his design." "Of ambushed men, whom, by their arms and dress, To be Taxallan enemies I guess."

3.

To solve by a correct conjecture; to conjecture rightly; as, he who guesses the riddle shall have the ring; he has guessed my designs.

4.

To hit upon or reproduce by memory. (Obs.) "Tell me their words, as near as thou canst guess them."

5.

To think; to suppose; to believe; to imagine; followed by an objective clause. "Not all together; better far, I guess, That we do make our entrance several ways." "But in known images of life I guess The labor greater."

Synonyms: To conjecture; suppose; surmise; suspect; divine; think; imagine; fancy. To Guess, Think, Reckon. Guess denotes, to attempt to hit upon at random; as, to guess at a thing when blindfolded; to conjecture or form an opinion on hidden or very slight grounds: as, to guess a riddle; to guess out the meaning of an obscure passage. The use of the word guess for think or believe, although abundantly sanctioned by good English authors, is now regarded as antiquated and objectionable by discriminating writers. It may properly be branded as a colloguialism and vulgarism when used respecting a purpose or a thing about which there is no uncertainty; as, I guess I 'll go to bed.

Guess v. i. To make a guess or random judgment; to conjecture; with at, about, etc. "This is the place, as well as I may guess."

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Etymology of 'Guessing'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Guessing" Quotes from Famous Books

... "You've got them guessing already. I don't know what your mother said to Olaf over the telephone, but be came back looking as if he'd seen a ghost, and he didn't go to bed until a dreadful hour—ten o'clock, I should think. He sat out on the porch in the dark like a graven ...

— The Troll Garden and Selected Stories • Willa Cather

... to the Parliament. Only the chiefs, Monk, Annesley, Montague, and the other Councillors, kept up an appearance as if the issue must not be anticipated till the Parliament should have actually met. With letters to and from Charles in their pockets, and each knowing or guessing that the others had such letters, they were trying to look as unpledged and as merely cogitative as they could. It was for the multitude to roar and shout for Charles, and they had now full permission. It was for the chiefs to ...

— The Life of John Milton, Volume 5 (of 7), 1654-1660 • David Masson

... nine, and almost at the moment Farfrae came round the opposite corner and knocked. That she had been waiting just inside for him was certain, for she instantly opened the door herself. They went together by the way of a back lane westward, avoiding the front street; guessing where they were going he ...

— The Mayor of Casterbridge • Thomas Hardy

... of those things, and you might as well stop guessing and prepare to listen to what I tell you, for you will never know it otherwise, as I am the only one in the whole village who knows all the ins and outs of ...

— Zip, the Adventures of a Frisky Fox Terrier • Frances Trego Montgomery

... pas toujours. Hidden under the apparent rigidity of his favourite studies, imagination, even in them, played a large part. Physics, mathematics were with him largely matters of intuition, anticipation, [89] precocious discovery, short cuts, superb guessing. It was the inventive element in his work and his way of putting things that surprised those best able to judge. He might have discovered the mathematical sciences for himself, it is alleged, had his father, as he once had a mind to do, withheld ...

— Miscellaneous Studies: A Series of Essays • Walter Horatio Pater

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