sure as the world
- idiom
- Informal
- If she says she will do it, you can count on her, sure as the world.
Examples
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The sun will rise tomorrow, sure as the world.
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They'll get hungry and come home, sure as the world.
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You know, that thing's gonna up and kill somebody one of these days, sure as the world.
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He'll finish the project on time, sure as the world.
Synonyms
Showing that something is true or will happen without any doubt
Completely and without any doubt
Certain to happen or be true
Without any doubt
Sure to happen or be true
Without any doubt
To be completely sure and have no doubt
Shows that something happens exactly as expected
In a clear way that leaves no doubt
In a way that is certain
Without any doubt and with confidence
Certain to work and bring success
Says that something is certainly true
Completely sure with no chance of being wrong
You can be certain it is true
Completely certain that something will happen
Certain to happen without any doubt
Certain to continue in the future
Says that something will definitely happen or is true
Completely certain that something is true
Completely certain that something is true
Completely sure in a strong, playful way
Antonyms
How Certain
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'sure' carries the core meaning and the comparative frame 'as the world' functions as an emphatic intensifier, so a learner who knows the words can plausibly infer an emphatic meaning like 'absolutely certain'. However, the comparison is metaphorical and idiomatic rather than strictly compositional, so the exact idiomatic force and register may not be fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Sure as the world comes from the picture of the whole world as something big and always there. If something is as sure as the world, people thought it could not be wrong, so the phrase means 'absolutely certain'.