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Foresee vs Guess - What's the difference?

foresee | guess |

In obsolete terms the difference between foresee and guess

is that foresee is to provide while guess is to hit upon or reproduce by memory.

As verbs the difference between foresee and guess

is that foresee is to anticipate; to predict while guess is to reach a partly (or totally) unqualified conclusion.

As a noun guess is

a prediction about the outcome of something, typically made without factual evidence or support.

foresee

English

Verb

  • To anticipate; to predict.
  • * 1838 , Charles Dickens, The Lamplighter
    • "I foresee in this," he says, "the breaking up of our profession."
  • * Bible, Proverbs xxii. 3
    • A prudent man foreseeth the evil.
  • (obsolete) To provide.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • Great shoals of people, which go on to populate, without foreseeing means of life.

    See also

    * forsee English irregular verbs

    guess

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) . More at (l).

    Verb

  • To reach a partly (or totally) unqualified conclusion.
  • To solve by a correct conjecture; to conjecture rightly.
    • He who guesses the riddle shall have the ring.
  • (chiefly, US) to suppose (introducing a proposition of uncertain plausibility).
    • That album is quite hard to find, but I guess you could try ordering it online.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Not all together; better far, I guess , / That we do make our entrance several ways.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • But in known images of life I guess / The labour greater.
  • *
  • (obsolete) To hit upon or reproduce by memory.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Tell me their words, as near as thou canst guess them.
    Synonyms
    * hypothesize * take a stab * speculate
    Derived terms
    * foreguess * guess what * guessable * guesser * guessing game * guesstimate * guesswork * keep someone guessing * no prize for guessing * out-guess * second-guess * you'll never guess

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) gesse. Cognate with (etyl) .

    Noun

    (es)
  • A prediction about the outcome of something, typically made without factual evidence or support.
    • If you don't know the answer, take a guess .
  • *
    • Synonyms
    * estimate * hypothesis * prediction
    Derived terms
    * another-guess * anyone's guess * by guess or by gosh * educated guess * guesswork * guesstimate * otherguess * take a guess * your guess is as good as mine

    External links

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