guess
B1Informal to Neutral
Definition
Meaning
to form an opinion or give an answer about something when you do not know for certain what is true
to correctly give the answer to a question or problem without knowing all the facts; to suppose or think something is likely; to estimate or arrive at a conclusion by conjecture.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
While 'guess' implies uncertainty, it can range from a wild, unsubstantiated attempt ('take a guess') to an educated estimation based on some evidence or intuition. It can also function as a discourse marker ('I guess...') to soften statements.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal differences in meaning. 'Guess' as a noun is slightly more common in AmE phrases like 'a wild guess' or 'my best guess'. The discourse marker 'I guess...' is more frequent and colloquial in AmE than in BrE, where 'I suppose...' is often preferred.
Connotations
In AmE, 'guess' can carry a stronger connotation of confident estimation ('educated guess'). In both varieties, it connotes a lack of full certainty.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both varieties, with slightly higher usage in AmE according to corpora, partly due to its discourse marker function.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
guess (that) clauseguess wh-clauseguess somethingguess at somethingguess + direct object + to be + complementVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Your guess is as good as mine”
- “Guess what!”
- “At a guess”
- “Second-guess”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in forecasting and estimations: 'Our best guess for Q3 revenue is around £2m.'
Academic
Used cautiously to indicate a hypothesis or tentative conclusion: 'One might guess that these variables are correlated.'
Everyday
Very common in conversation for uncertain answers: 'Can you guess how old I am?'
Technical
In statistics/computer science, it refers to an initial estimate in an algorithm (e.g., 'an initial guess for the parameter').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- I'd guess she's about thirty.
- Can you guess the answer?
- He guessed correctly that the meeting would be cancelled.
- I guess we should get going.
American English
- I guess I'll have the chicken.
- You'll never guess who I saw today!
- He guessed the number of jellybeans in the jar.
- Go ahead, take a guess.
adverb
British English
- He answered guessingly, without much conviction.
American English
- She spoke guessingly about the future plans.
adjective
British English
- It's just a guess estimate at this stage.
American English
- A guess estimate is all we need for now.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Guess my favourite colour!
- I don't know the answer. I will guess.
- Can you guess how many apples are in the bag?
- I guess you're right about the cost.
- She made a lucky guess and won the prize.
- It was difficult to guess his real intentions.
- At a rough guess, I'd say about fifty people attended.
- The scientists could only guess at the cause of the phenomenon.
- My initial guess proved to be completely wrong.
- One might hazard a guess that political tensions will ease.
- The algorithm starts with a random guess and iteratively refines it.
- His reply was so cryptic that we were left guessing his meaning.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
GUESS sounds like 'GESS' – think 'Get Exact Solution? Sort of...' – implying you're not quite sure.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWING IS SEEING / NOT KNOWING IS BEING IN THE DARK (e.g., 'I can only guess in the dark').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'догадываться' (to suspect/figure out) which implies more deduction. 'Guess' is closer to 'предполагать' or 'угадывать'.
- Do not overuse 'I guess' as a direct translation of 'я думаю' (I think); it can sound non-committal.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'guess' for a confident prediction (use 'predict' or 'forecast').
- Incorrect preposition: 'I guessed on the answer' (correct: 'I guessed the answer' or 'I guessed at the answer').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'guess' used as a discourse marker to soften a statement?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Guess' implies more uncertainty and less systematic calculation. 'Estimate' suggests a more reasoned approximation, often based on some data or expertise.
In writing, it is informal. In American spoken English, it's extremely common and neutral in casual contexts. For formal writing, prefer 'I suppose', 'I infer', or 'I estimate' depending on context.
Yes, particularly in past tense. 'He guessed the password' means he tried and succeeded. To emphasise the success, you can say 'He guessed the password correctly'.
It has two meanings: 1) to criticise or question someone's actions/decisions after the fact, 2) to anticipate or predict someone's actions, often making them hesitate.