guess
expect, believe, or suppose
How often you will meet it
Rank 855 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 21,432 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.010% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
verb
- expect, believe, or suppose also: think, opine, suppose, imagine, reckon I imagine she earned a lot of money with her new novelI thought to find her in a bad state
- put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation also: venture, pretend, hazard I am guessing that the price of real estate will rise againI cannot pretend to say that you are wrong
- judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time) also: estimate, gauge, approximate, judge I estimate this chicken to weigh three pounds
- guess correctly; solve by guessing also: infer He guessed the right number of beans in the jar and won the prize
noun
- a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence also: conjecture, supposition, surmise, surmisal, speculation, hypothesis
- an estimate based on little or no information also: guesswork, guessing, shot, dead reckoning
guess in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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No," growing suddenly quite grave, "you will have to guess again.
Gloria and Treeless Street · Annie Hamilton Donnell · Chapter 1
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The young folks was all friends, and I guess she just can’t bear to talk about it.
Ethan Frome · Edith Wharton · Chapter 1
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But the world might guess it, and I will not bare my soul to their shallow prying eyes.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1
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Can you guess, Dainty lady of fashion, with "dots" of your own, Bright-eyed and trim-vestured, well-fed and well-grown?
Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 · Various · Chapter 1
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If I ain't better in the morning I guess--" the words came reluctantly--"I guess you'd better go see the Christmas lady.
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch · Alice Caldwell Hegan Rice · Chapter 1