Sure vs Maybe - What's the difference?
sure | maybe |
Physically secure and certain, non-failing, reliable.
Certain in one's knowledge or belief.
*
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Certain to act or be a specified way.
(obsolete) Free from danger; safe; secure.
* Shakespeare
(obsolete) Betrothed; engaged to marry.
* Sir T. More
* Brome
Without doubt.
(as a pro-sentence ) perhaps that is true (expressing no commitment to a decision or a neutral viewpoint to a statement)
Possible; uncertain.
(informal) Something that is possibly true.
(informal) An answer that shows neither agreement nor disagreement.
(informal) A future event that may or may not happen.
As adjectives the difference between sure and maybe
is that sure is physically secure and certain, non-failing, reliable while maybe is possible; uncertain.As adverbs the difference between sure and maybe
is that sure is without doubt while maybe is Modifies a verb, indicating a lack of certainty.As an interjection sure
is yes, of course.As a noun maybe is
something that is possibly true.sure
English
Adjective
(er)- Fear not; the forest is not three leagues off; / If we recover that we are sure enough.
- The king was sure to Dame Elizabeth Lucy, and her husband before God.
- I presume that you had been sure as fast as faith could bind you, man and wife.
Synonyms
* (secure and steadfast) certain, failsafe, reliable * (sense, steadfast in one's knowledge or belief) certain, positive, wisDerived terms
* for sure * surely * sure up (sure)Adverb
(en adverb)- Sure he's coming! Why wouldn't he?
- "Did you kill that bear yourself? ?"I sure did!"
Usage notes
* Often proscribed in favor of surely. May be informal.Synonyms
* certainly, of course, OK, yesReferences
* 1996, T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Etymology , Oxford University Press, ISBN 0192830988Statistics
*maybe
English
(wikipedia maybe)Alternative forms
* (l) (obsolete) * (l) (dialectal)Adverb
(-)Usage notes
* Do not confuse maybe' with ' may be : "Maybe that's true", but "That may be true"Synonyms
* (perhaps) mayhaps, peradventure, perhaps, possibly * (as a pro-sentence) could be, mayhaps, might be, perhaps, possibly, that’s possibleDerived terms
* and I don't mean maybeAdjective
(en adjective)- Then add those may-be years thou hast to live ? Dryden.
Noun
(en noun)- The results of the poll were inconclusive. We got two yeses, three nos, and four maybes.
- About your raise: it's a big maybe .