guess
guess — noun
1. A try you make at being right about something uncertain, such as a number or an
A try you make at being right about something uncertain, such as a number or an answer.
Take a guess at how many people are in this room right now.
collocation: take a guess
Owen made a wild guess and said the jar held three hundred sweets.
collocation: make a guess
Rohan made a guess at the number of marbles in the glass jar and won a prize.
collocation: make a guess at [something]
Nkechi's first guess was wrong, but her second attempt was right.
Marta said her best guess was that the museum held over two thousand paintings.
collocation: best guess + that-clause
- make a guess
- take a guess
- wild guess
- educated guess
- rough guess
- second guess
- estimate
more careful and based on numbers; less casual
- conjecture
formal; used in academic or serious writing
- approximation
focuses on quantity or measurement rather than a yes/no answer
- certainty
a sure fact, not a guess
Grammar Patterns
make/take + a guess
guess + at + noun
Usage Note
Often paired with the verb 'make' or 'take' to form common collocations such as 'make a guess' or 'take a guess'.
Common Mistakes
2. What someone thinks about a situation when they have no real information to base
What someone thinks about a situation when they have no real information to base it on.
My guess is that the wedding will be postponed until spring.
pattern: my guess is that + clause
Christopher's guess about the election result was completely wrong.
After the CEO resigned so suddenly, what happens next is anyone's guess.
idiomatic phrase: anyone's guess
Shirin's guess that the company would close turned out to be correct.
Your guess is as good as mine about who will win the prize.
idiomatic phrase: your guess is as good as mine
- anyone's guess
- your guess is as good as mine
- my guess is
- educated guess
Grammar Patterns
someone's guess + is + that-clause
anyone's guess
Usage Note
This sense often appears in the fixed expressions 'anyone's guess' and 'your guess is as good as mine,' both used when nobody has better information than anyone else.
Common Mistakes
guess — verb
1. To try to answer something when you lack enough facts to be sure if you are righ
To try to answer something when you lack enough facts to be sure if you are right.
Can you guess how much this old bicycle cost me at the market?
pattern: guess + how much + clause
Owen guessed the answer before the other students could even think.
The children at the birthday party guessed wildly, shouting every colour they could name.
adverb collocation: guess wildly
Lucía tried to guess the weight of the pumpkin at the fairground.
Asher tried to guess the distance to the mountains by tracing a route on the old map.
- guess at
- guess wildly
- guess correctly
- hazard a guess
- estimate
more numerical and reasoned; less a pure guess
- speculate
formal; thinking about possibilities without firm evidence
- hazard a guess
idiomatic; means to offer a guess cautiously
Grammar Patterns
guess + (question word) + clause
guess + at + noun
guess + noun
Usage Note
When used transitively, the object is usually the thing being guessed (an answer, a number) or a question-word clause ('guess who,' 'guess where'). When used intransitively, it often pairs with 'at': 'guess at the answer.'
Common Mistakes
2. To manage to say what is right despite having scarce information at the start.
To manage to say what is right despite having scarce information at the start.
Élise guessed the right number and won the grand prize for the class.
collocation: guess the right [answer/number/etc.]
Nobody guessed who the mystery guest on the show was going to be.
Reuben guessed his sister's password on the very first attempt.
If you can guess how old I am, I will buy you dinner tonight.
Tamás guessed the ending of the film after only ten minutes of watching.
- guess correctly
- guess right
- guess the answer
- predict correctly
more formal; used for future events
- figure out
involves some reasoning, not just guessing
- hit on
informal; suggests finding something by chance
- miss
to guess incorrectly
Grammar Patterns
guess + noun (correct answer)
guess + question word + clause
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1 (ANSWER UNCERTAINLY): sense 2 specifically means the guess turned out to be correct. The outcome is part of the meaning — you cannot say 'I guessed the answer' (sense 1 meaning) and then add 'but I was wrong.'
Common Mistakes
3. Said as a way to start telling somebody a surprising or exciting piece of news.
Said as a way to start telling somebody a surprising or exciting piece of news.
Guess what? I got the job at the children's hospital in Taipei!
fixed phrase: Guess what? + exciting news
Guess what happened at swim practice today — Coach Lin announced a meet in Seoul!
Guess what? Shirin is moving to Japan to study next month!
Guess what? Evelyn found a hundred-dollar note in an old coat pocket.
- you'll never guess
longer but more dramatic lead-in
- you know what?
similar function, slightly less enthusiastic
Grammar Patterns
Guess what? + [surprising statement]
Usage Note
Always used in informal conversation. 'Guess what?' is not a real question — the speaker will immediately reveal the news whether the listener guesses or not.
Common Mistakes
4. Said to ask someone to think of an answer before you tell them something interes
Said to ask someone to think of an answer before you tell them something interesting.
Guess who called me this morning — my old friend from primary school!
pattern: Guess who + clause + revelation
Guess where Tuan is spending his summer vacation — at a farm in the south of France!
Guess how much the washing machine cost — over four hundred dollars.
Guess when I last saw Pedro — it was over five years ago already.
- guess who
- guess where
- guess what
- guess how
- can you guess
politer version of the same pattern
Grammar Patterns
Guess + who/where/what/when + clause
Usage Note
Unlike sense 3 (GUESS WHAT), this sense uses a specific question word (who, where, what, when, how) and expects the listener to try answering before being told.
Common Mistakes
5. To form a belief that something about a person or situation is probably true, th
To form a belief that something about a person or situation is probably true, though you have no proof.
I guess you are right about needing to leave before the traffic gets heavy.
pattern: I guess + (that) + clause
I guess she simply forgot about our meeting this afternoon in the busy day.
Hari guessed that the package would arrive before Friday morning.
I guess my keys are somewhere in the living room, but I cannot spot them yet.
Piotr guessed the dinner would cost around forty dollars for the group.
- I guess
- guess so
- I guess not
- know
to be certain of something, not merely guessing
Grammar Patterns
I guess + (that) + clause
Usage Note
Common in American English for expressing a tentative opinion. Less common in formal British English, where 'suppose' or 'imagine' may be preferred. The subject is almost always 'I.'
Common Mistakes
6. A short spoken reply that gives a hesitant 'yes' in answer to a yes-or-no questi
A short spoken reply that gives a hesitant 'yes' in answer to a yes-or-no question.
"Are you coming to the party tonight?" "I guess so, if I finish work early."
fixed phrase: I guess so
"Is this the right bus for the train station?" "I guess so, but I am not sure."
"Do you think it will rain this afternoon?" "I guess so — the sky looks dark."
"Can we afford a new sofa this month?" "I guess not, unless we save more."
negative variant: I guess not
- I guess so
- I guess not
- I suppose so
slightly more formal and British
- probably
single-word alternative in casual replies
- I don't think so
stronger denial of what was asked
Grammar Patterns
"I guess so" as answer to yes/no question
"I guess not"
Usage Note
Used as a standalone spoken response. The full form 'I guess so' functions as a single chunk. The negative counterpart is 'I guess not.'
Common Mistakes
7. A spoken reply that shows limited agreement with someone's statement, often to s
A spoken reply that shows limited agreement with someone's statement, often to signal a different opinion.
"The film was quite good, was not it?" "I guess, but the ending was disappointing."
pattern: I guess, but + qualification
"Would you say she is a fair teacher?" "I guess, though she can be a bit strict."
"The blue curtains look better in this room, do they not?" "I guess, but I still like the grey ones."
"The food at that restaurant is good, is not it?" "I guess, but it is quite expensive."
- I guess, but
- I guess, though
- definitely
expresses full and certain agreement
Grammar Patterns
"I guess" as standalone response
"I guess, but + [qualifying statement]"
Usage Note
The speaker often follows 'I guess' with 'but' or 'though' to explain their reservation. The tone can suggest reluctance or mild doubt.
Common Mistakes
8. To state what you have just decided to do yourself, often with a tone of relucta
To state what you have just decided to do yourself, often with a tone of reluctant acceptance.
I guess I will start cooking dinner around six o'clock this evening.
pattern: I guess I will + verb
I guess we will take the train instead of driving in this terrible rain.
Obi guessed he would finish painting the fence by Friday afternoon.
I guess I will take the earlier bus so I can reach the station before the rush hour.
I guess they will announce the winner after the lunch break ends.
- I guess I'll
- I guess we'll
- suppose I'll
British equivalent; 'I suppose I'll start dinner now'
- reckon I'll
informal British/Australian
Grammar Patterns
I guess + I/we + will + verb
Usage Note
This sense implies a decision that is made at the moment of speaking, often with a tone of acceptance or resignation. The subject is typically 'I' or 'we.'
Common Mistakes
To make someone uncertain about what will happen next or what your plans are.
The mystery novel kept me guessing until the final chapter.
Why does the manager keep us guessing about the new project?
Word family
- guessingnounB1
- guessworknounB2
- unguessableadjectiveC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four words involve reaching a conclusion without full certainty, but they differ in how much reasoning is involved. 'Guess' is the most general and informal — you can guess a number, an answer, or someone's age with little or no information. 'Estimate' implies a rough calculation based on available data: an electrician might estimate the cost of repairs. 'Speculate' means forming ideas about something without solid evidence, often about the future: analysts speculate about market trends. 'Conjecture' is the most formal and academic, fitting written arguments: a historian might offer a conjecture about the cause of a war. If a friend asks how many sweets are in a jar, you guess. If a contractor gives a price, they estimate. If a pundit talks about what might happen next, they speculate. If a scholar proposes a theory, they offer a conjecture.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'guess' comes from Middle English 'gessen,' meaning 'to guess' or 'to estimate,' which likely entered English through Scandinavian languages — compare Old Swedish 'gissa' and Danish 'gisse.' These are related to Dutch 'gissen' and German 'erraten.' The root may trace back to a Proto-Germanic word meaning 'to try to find.' The sense of 'suppose' or 'think likely' developed in the 16th century.