surmise
/səˈmaɪz/ (bre, ipa) · [sɚmˈaɪz] /sərˈmaɪz/ (ame, ipa) · [sɚmˈaɪz] /sər-ˈmīz How to pronounce surmise (audio) ˈsər-ˌmīz/ (ame, mw) · [sɚmˈaɪz] /sɚˈmaɪz/ (ame, ipa)
surmise — 動詞
- surmisepresent simple I / you / we / they
- surmiseshe / she / it
- surmisedpast simple
- surmising-ing form
1. to form a guess about what is true or what happened by putting together a few sm
臆測；推想
依零碎線索猜想真相
to form a guess about what is true or what happened by putting together a few small signs instead of working from known facts.
After the locked drawer was found open, Mira surmised that Ben had returned early.
發現上鎖的抽屜竟然開著後，Mira 臆測 Ben 提早回來了。
surmise + that-clause from visible clues
Rohan could only surmise the cause of the power cut from the burnt smell.
Rohan 只能從燒焦的氣味推想這次停電的原因。
surmise + noun phrase from + clue
From the muddy footprints, the ranger surmised a bear had crossed the trail.
看到泥濘的腳印後，那名巡山員推想有一隻熊走過了這條小徑。
It was widely surmised that the files were copied before dawn.
外界普遍臆測那些檔案是在天亮前被複製的。
- infer
usually sounds more analytical and reasoned than 'surmise'
- conjecture
more academic or literary, often for a more developed conclusion
- suspect
often points to a worrying possibility rather than a neutral inference
- guess
everyday and neutral, with no strong sense of formal reasoning
文法句型
surmise + that-clause
surmise + noun phrase
surmise from + clue
it is/was surmised that ...
用法筆記
Frequently followed by a that-clause stating the guessed conclusion, and often used in passive reporting frames such as 'it was surmised that ...'. Compared with everyday 'guess', this verb usually sounds quieter, more literary, and more tied to small clues.
常見錯誤
surmise — 名詞
- surmisesingular
- surmisesplural
1. an idea about what is true or what happened that rests on limited clues instead
猜測；推斷
根據有限線索作出的想法
an idea about what is true or what happened that rests on limited clues instead of clear proof.
The detective's first surmise was that the missing ring had never left the house.
那名偵探最初的猜測是，失蹤的戒指從未離開過那棟房子。
surmise + that-clause
Without a witness, Yuki's surmise about the fire's cause remained only a guess.
因為沒有目擊者，Yuki 對起火原因的推斷仍然只算是一種猜測。
surmise about + noun
The parents' surmise that the school would close proved wrong when classes began on time.
那些家長原先猜測學校會停課，但上課還是準時開始了。
Antonia's surmise that the couple had married in secret spread quickly through the small office.
Antonia 猜測那對情侶已經秘密結婚，這個說法很快就在小辦公室裡傳開了。
- guess
everyday and neutral, with much less formal tone
- conjecture
more academic or legal in feel, often sounding more elaborate
- assumption
can be made without any visible clue, while 'surmise' suggests some small signs
- suspicion
usually points to something wrong or hidden rather than any kind of inference
文法句型
a surmise that + clause
surmise about + noun
mere surmise
用法筆記
Usually appears in formal writing or careful speech when a speaker wants to stress that a conclusion rests on very little evidence. It often takes a that-clause or a phrase with about to name the guessed idea directly.