guess

The word “guess” means to form an answer or opinion without being sure it's correct. In plain terms, to give an answer without knowing for sure, or that unsure answer itself.

“Guess” is pronounced gehs (/ɡɛs/ in IPA).

Here is “guess” used in a sentence: “I guessed the password on my third try.”

Words with a similar meaning to “guess” include assume, conjecture, hypothesize, speculate, suppose and surmise.

Depending on how it is used, “guess” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “guess” comes from Middle English. From Middle English gessen, likely of Scandinavian origin, related to Old Norse words for "to get" or "to seize" — the idea of grabbing at an answer.

“Guess” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Guess” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to form an answer or opinion without being sure it's correct.

A guess is an answer formed with little or no evidence — you simply aren't sure it's right. An estimate uses some information or calculation to make an informed approximation. Pacing out a room to judge its size is estimating; blindly picking a number out of the air is guessing.

To guess is to venture an answer you know might be wrong. To assume is to take something as true and act on it, often without questioning it. A guess is tentative and openly uncertain; an assumption is treated as fact until something proves it otherwise. The confidence level is the key difference.

Knowing means you have the facts and can be confident you're right. Guessing means forming an answer without that certainty — you might land on the truth, but you can't be sure. The gap between them is evidence: knowledge rests on it, while a guess does without it entirely.

Picking an answer on a test you didn't study for is guessing. So is saying 'I'd guess she's about thirty' without knowing her age, or trying to name a song from a single note. In each case you offer an answer without being sure it's correct — the essence of a guess.