surely
- 01 B1 Intermediate
you use this when you are almost certain something is true and you expect others to agree.
used to express a strong belief that something is true, often with an underlying tone of surprise or an appeal for confirmation.
Simple“Surely you aren't going out in this heavy rain without an umbrella?”
In context“Surely the board must recognise that continuing with this strategy will lead to a significant deficit by the end of the fiscal year.”
UsageOften placed at the beginning of a sentence to challenge a previous statement or to seek agreement.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
happening in a steady way that does not fail, even if it is slow.
in a reliable, steady, or inevitable manner; most common in the fixed phrase 'slowly but surely'.
Simple“The climbers moved slowly but surely toward the top of the mountain.”
In context“The legal team worked slowly but surely to dismantle the witness's testimony, uncovering small inconsistencies over several days of cross-examination.”
UsageFrequently occurs in the idiomatic pairing 'slowly but surely'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
doing something in a way that shows you are sure of yourself.
with a firm, confident, or steady manner that indicates a lack of hesitation.
Simple“She spoke surely and clearly, making everyone in the room listen.”
In context“The surgeon moved surely, his hands showing no sign of the fatigue that usually follows a twelve-hour shift.”
Teacher's tipIn modern spoken English, 'confidently' or 'steadily' is much more common for this sense; 'surely' used this way often feels formal or literary.
SynonymsAntonymshesitantly
From Middle English surely; equivalent to sure + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.