surely

From Middle English surely; equivalent to sure +‎ -ly.

• (Received Pronunciation)
  • (pour–poor merger) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɔːli/
  • (without the pour–poor merger) IPA^(key): /ˈʃʊəli/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈʃʊɹli/, /ˈʃɔɹli/, /ˈʃɝli/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Homophone: Shirley (in some dialects)
• Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ)li, -ɔː(ɹ)li

surely (comparative surelier or more surely, superlative sureliest or most surely)

1. Without fail.

   slowly but surely

2. (sentence adverb) Certainly, undoubtedly.

   Surely, you must be joking.

   You don’t suppose we're going to pay for you, surely?

   She’s surely got the letter by now.

   • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:

     But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window […].

   • 1980, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Airplane! (motion picture), Leslie Nielsen and Robert Hays (actors):

     Ted Striker: The stewardess said... both pilots?!
     Dr. Rumack: Can you fly this plane and land it?
     Ted Striker: Surely you can't be serious.
     Dr. Rumack: I am serious; and don't call me Shirley.

   • 1993, Plato, translated by Hugh Tredennick and Harold Tarrant, “Justice and Duty (i): Socrates Speaks at his Trial: the Apology”, in The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics), revised edition, London; New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 41:

     Here perhaps one of you might interrupt me and say, 'But what is it that you do, Socrates? How is it that you have been misrepresented like this? Surely all this talk and gossip about you would never have arisen if you had confined yourself to ordinary activities, but only if your behaviour was abnormal. Give us the explanation, if you do not want us to draw our own conclusions.'

3. With confidence.

   His feet were planted surely on the ground.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 1:1:

     Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us […].

• certainly, wis (obsolete)

• Ruleys, Ruyles, Ulerys, Ulreys, syluer

• surly, suerly, surliche, surelich, seurly, suyrly, swrly, seurerly, seuirly, sureli, sewrly, sourely, sewerly, swerly, sewrlye, surelye

From sure +‎ -ly.

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛu̯rliː/, /ˈsiu̯rliː/, /ˈsuːrliː/

surely (comparative surelier)

1. safely (with safety and security)
2. totally, bindingly, without doubt
3. For sure, with certainty.
4. truly, actually, really
5. totally, entirely, wholly
6. With conviction and belief; assuredly

• English: surely
• Scots: shuirly

• “seurlī, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 21 April 2018.