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to guestimate

to guestimate

6.0
To give a rough guess about a number or amount when you have little information
  • verb
  • /ˈɡɛstɪmeɪt/
  • Informal
translation icon : estimación aproximar
  • Without measuring, I can only guestimate that the project will take about two weeks.

Examples

  • Now I didn't do the exact math; I'm just guestimating, but the point is pretty plain.

    Blog text (16)
  • She guestimated the cost of the repairs based on her previous experiences.

  • However, using multiple data sources and methods to triangulate data, it is feasible to "guestimate" the number of trafficked women in a locale.

    Academic text (2005)
  • During the meeting, he guestimated the number of attendees by looking around the room.

Synonyms

to approximate
vsto guestimate
9 4.3

To make a rough guess about a number or amount

relies on informal partial information and is much rougher
to guesstimate
vsto guestimate
  • Informal
3 6.5

To make a rough guess using a quick calculation when you lack exact information

has identical meaning but differs only in spelling form

How Accurate

to calculate
210 2.8
to measure
700 1.0
to estimate
765 2.8
to guestimate
  • Informal
6.0
guess
768 1.0

Surface Forms

guestimate infinitive
guestimated past participle
guestimating present participle
guestimates third person singular

Morphology

guestimate = guess + estimate (transparent) = guess + estimate

Verb sense is the same blended formation; the action is clearly inferable from 'guess' + 'estimate'.

Etymology

The verb guestimate is formed by joining guess and estimate. To guestimate is to 'estimate' by 'guessing', meaning to give a quick, rough answer when you lack exact numbers.