Surmise

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /sɜːˈmaɪz/

Origin

From Old French surmis, past participle of surmetre, surmettre ("to accuse"), from sur- ("upon") + metre ("to put").

Full definition of surmise

Noun

1. Thought, imagination, or conjecture, which may be based upon feeble or scanty evidence; suspicion; guess.surmises of jealousy or of envy
• Jonathan SwiftNo man ought to be charged with principles he actually disowns, unless his practices contradict his profession; not upon small surmises.
• 1919, William Somerset Maugham, ,The meeting had been devoid of incident. No word had been said to give me anything to think about, and any surmises I might make were unwarranted. I was intrigued.
2. Reflection; thought; posit.

Verb

1. To conjecture, to opine or to posit with contestable premises.