guarantee
/ˌɡær.ənˈtiː/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɡer.ənˈtiː/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌger-ən-ˈtē ˌgär-, ˌga-rən- also ˈger-ən-ˌtē or ˈgär-ən- ˈga-rən-/ (ame, mw) · /ˌɡærənˈtiː/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɡærənˈtiː/ (ame, ipa)
guarantee — noun
- guaranteesingular
- guaranteesplural
1. A written or spoken promise from a company, stating that it will repair or repla
A written or spoken promise from a company, stating that it will repair or replace a product at no cost if faults appear within a set period of time.
The laptop comes with a two-year guarantee against manufacturing defects.
collocation: guarantee against [defects]
Always check the guarantee before you throw away the store receipt.
Vikram filed a claim under the guarantee when his blender stopped working.
A full guarantee covers both parts and labor for the first year.
The guarantee does not cover damage caused by accident or misuse.
用法筆記
In British English, a 'guarantee' is often a written document; in American English, 'warranty' is more common for the document, while 'guarantee' is the broader promise.
常見錯誤
2. A legal arrangement where a person signs a document making themselves answerable
A legal arrangement where a person signs a document making themselves answerable for another party's debt if that party does not repay what they borrowed.
The bank asked Linh's father to sign as a guarantee for the student loan.
collocation: sign as a guarantee for
A personal guarantee means you are personally liable if the business cannot repay the debt.
The investor provided a written guarantee to cover any losses the startup might incur.
Without a guarantee from a cosigner, the bank would not approve the mortgage application.
- surety
A more formal legal term for a person or document that guarantees a debt; used in courtroom and insurance contexts.
- bond
A financial instrument that serves as a guarantee; often refers to money paid upfront rather than a personal promise.
- endorsement
A signature or statement that backs a financial document, but implies less responsibility than a full guarantee.
用法筆記
This sense is distinct from sense 1: here the guarantee is about a person's financial liability, not about a product. The person who gives this type of guarantee is called a 'guarantor'.
常見錯誤
3. An item of worth — cash, a possession, or property — handed over to somebody on
An item of worth — cash, a possession, or property — handed over to somebody on a short-term basis as proof that a commitment will be kept, and forfeited if the commitment is broken.
The hotel kept a cash guarantee against any damage to the room during our stay.
collocation: cash guarantee against [damage]
Daichi left his watch as a guarantee that he would return the borrowed tools.
pattern: leave [item] as a guarantee that [promise]
Landlords often ask for a cash deposit as a guarantee for the monthly rent.
The court accepted the family's property as a guarantee for the bail payment.
- deposit
A sum of money given as a guarantee, especially for renting property; does not require a formal contract.
- collateral
Property or assets pledged to secure a loan; a more formal financial term than 'guarantee'.
- pledge
A personal item given as a sign of good faith; more common in informal or historical contexts.
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with 'deposit' but carries a stronger implication of forfeiture: if you fail, the other party keeps the item. In modern English, 'deposit' is more common for rental agreements.
guarantee — verb
- guaranteepresent simple I / you / we / they
- guaranteeshe / she / it
- guaranteedpast simple
- guaranteeing-ing form
1. When a company guarantees a product, it promises in writing to repair or replace
When a company guarantees a product, it promises in writing to repair or replace the product at no cost if it develops faults within a set period of time.
This refrigerator is guaranteed for five years against any manufacturing faults.
passive: is guaranteed for [period] against [faults]
The company guarantees all its electronic products for a minimum of one year.
If the toy breaks within the first year, the store guarantees a free replacement.
Aisha's phone was guaranteed against water damage under the extended plan.
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice ('is guaranteed'). The guarantee period is often introduced by 'for' and the problem by 'against': 'guaranteed for two years against rust.'
常見錯誤
2. To state with strong confidence, backed by a willingness to accept consequences,
To state with strong confidence, backed by a willingness to accept consequences, that a particular event will come about or that a claim is correct.
The developer guaranteed that the new software would be ready by June.
guarantee + that-clause
Bilal guaranteed his manager that he would finish the report by Friday afternoon.
The hotel guarantees guests a full refund if they cancel within twenty-four hours.
I cannot guarantee that the morning train will arrive exactly on time.
The employment contract guarantees workers at least two weeks of paid vacation.
- doubt
To be uncertain about whether something will happen, the opposite of confidently promising it.
用法筆記
This sense is less formal than sense 3 (backing a debt) and broader in application. Unlike 'promise', 'guarantee' carries a stronger implication that the speaker is confident enough to take responsibility if the promise fails.
常見錯誤
3. To commit oneself legally, typically through a signed document, to settling anot
To commit oneself legally, typically through a signed document, to settling another individual's outstanding debt in the event that the debtor defaults.
Omar agreed to guarantee his cousin's student loan at the local bank.
guarantee + [person's] + [loan/debt]
The parent company guaranteed the debts of its struggling overseas subsidiary.
To start the business, the founder had to personally guarantee the bank loan.
No one was willing to guarantee the debt, so the loan application was rejected.
- underwrite
To accept financial risk for a loan or insurance policy; a more technical term used by financial institutions.
- cosign
To sign a loan document alongside the primary borrower, taking equal responsibility; common in everyday personal finance.
- vouch for
To speak in support of someone's reliability, but without formal legal or financial obligation.
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 1: here the object is a debt or loan, not a product. The person guaranteeing is called the 'guarantor'. This sense is almost always used in formal banking or legal contexts.
常見錯誤
4. To create the conditions that make a particular result unavoidable, so that ther
To create the conditions that make a particular result unavoidable, so that there is no doubt the result will happen.
Regular maintenance guarantees that your car will run smoothly for many years.
guarantee + that-clause for cause-effect
A university degree alone does not guarantee a well-paying job.
Early booking guarantees you the best available seats at the theater.
The new safety measures guarantee that workplace accidents will be greatly reduced.
Vikram's consistent hard work and talent guaranteed his promotion to team leader.
- ensure
To make sure something happens, but without the same strength of contractual or moral obligation; more common in everyday usage.
- assure
To tell someone something is certain in order to remove their doubt; the focus is on the person's feelings, not on creating conditions.
- secure
To obtain or achieve a result, often through effort or planning, rather than making it certain by itself.
- risk
To put something in a situation where failure is possible, the opposite of making the result certain.
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 5: here the subject is a cause (action, condition, or factor) that actively produces a result. In sense 5, the subject is the thing whose outcome is certain.
常見錯誤
5. To be so likely or predictable that the result is treated as completely certain,
To be so likely or predictable that the result is treated as completely certain, with no real doubt remaining.
A movie with that award-winning cast is guaranteed to be a box office hit.
passive pattern: is guaranteed to [verb]
If you water the plants regularly, strong growth is guaranteed.
Inês knew that winning the competition was not guaranteed despite all her preparation.
Following this simple recipe is guaranteed to produce a perfect chocolate cake.
Mira's funny stories are guaranteed to make everyone at the dinner table laugh.
- be certain to
Less formal and less emphatic; simply states that something is sure to happen without promising it.
- be bound to
Informal and idiomatic; suggests inevitability based on past experience or logic.
- be sure to
Similar to 'be certain to'; common in everyday speech and instructions.
- be unlikely to
To have little chance of happening, the opposite of being certain.
用法筆記
Unlike verb sense 4, this sense does not describe a cause-effect relationship. Instead, it describes the certainty of the outcome itself. The construction 'be guaranteed to do something' is very common: 'This plan is guaranteed to fail.'