surely

English Online Dictionary. What means surely‎? What does surely mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English surely; equivalent to sure +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈʃʊəli/, /ˈʃɔːli/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈʃʊɹli/, /ˈʃɔɹli/, /ˈʃɝli/
• Homophone: Shirley (in some dialects)
• Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ)li, -ɔː(ɹ)li

Adverb

surely (comparative surelier or more surely, superlative sureliest or most surely)

1. Without fail.

2. Certainly, undoubtedly.
3. With confidence.

Quotations

Synonyms

• certainly, wis (obsolete)

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• Ruleys, Ruyles, Ulerys, Ulreys, syluer

Middle English

Alternative forms

• surly, suerly, surliche, surelich, seurly, suyrly, swrly, seurerly, seuirly, sureli, sewrly, sourely, sewerly, swerly, sewrlye, surelye

Etymology

From sure +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛu̯rliː/, /ˈsiu̯rliː/, /ˈsuːrliː/

Adverb

surely (comparative surelier)

1. safely (with safety and security)
2. totally, bindingly, without doubt
3. For sure, with certainty.
4. truly, actually, really
5. totally, entirely, wholly
6. With conviction and belief; assuredly

Descendants

• English: surely
• Scots: shuirly

References

• “seurlī, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-21.