GUESS • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Guess

Add this Dictionary
to your website!
See more options...

/gɛs/ 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."

noun

Guess n. An opinion as to anything, formed without sufficient or decisive evidence or grounds; an attempt to hit upon the truth by a random judgment; a conjecture; a surmise. "A poet must confess His art 's like physic but a happy guess."

See images of 'Guess'

Etymology of 'Guess'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

Share |

"Guess" Quotes from Famous Books

... brain, it began to sigh out the Agnus Dei of Mozart's twelfth mass upon the air of the still church, which lay swept and garnished for the Sunday.—How could it be? I know now; and I guessed then; and my guess was right; and my reader must be content to guess too. I took no step to verify my conjecture, for I felt that I was upon my honour, but sat in one of the pews and listened, till the old organ sobbed itself into ...

— Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood • George MacDonald

... Anhault to make a horse trade. I'd like to see the world, go to London and Paris. I've wanted to go to France ever since that queer Frenchman was here—remember?—and told us those jolly tales about the Revolution and the great Napoleon. We were hardly more than seven or eight then, I guess." ...

— The Inn at the Red Oak • Latta Griswold

... wall like our own. How far off it might be we could only guess. When Nature's lightning hits a man fair and square, it splits his yardstick. On recovering from this stroke, mathematicians have ascertained the width of the Valley to vary between half a mile and five miles. Where we stood the width is ...

— The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 13, No. 80, June, 1864 • Various

... "Guess the Germans are handing us the wrong bill of fare this morning. Coffee and iron rations," said Sergeant Coe as he bent over and took a look into the tin basin on the Flemish stove in the kitchen of one of ...

— The Red Watch - With the First Canadian Division in Flanders • J. A. Currie

... take lessons right away then," replied Lester genially. "I'll do my best to keep you company. I'm not as light on my feet as I was once, but I guess ...

— Jennie Gerhardt - A Novel • Theodore Dreiser

Copyright © 2024 Free Translator.org