sure as the world
1
9.1
- idiom
- Informal
- If she says she will do it, you can count on her, sure as the world.
Examples
-
The sun will rise tomorrow, sure as the world.
-
They'll get hungry and come home, sure as the world.
-
You know, that thing's gonna up and kill somebody one of these days, sure as the world.
-
He'll finish the project on time, sure as the world.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Showing that something is true or will happen without any doubt
∞
1.0
Completely and without any doubt
949
2.0
Without any doubt
862
1.0
Without any doubt
286
1.0
Sure to happen or be true
283
1.0
Certain to happen or be true
107
2.3
Says that something is certainly true
89
2.7
Shows that something happens exactly as expected
86
1.3
To be completely sure and have no doubt
79
3.6
Certain to continue in the future
55
3.0
Completely sure with no chance of being wrong
29
4.4
In a clear way that leaves no doubt
24
9.9
You can be certain it is true
23
3.7
In a way that is certain
19
4.7
Without any doubt and with confidence
13
4.4
Certain to work and bring success
1
8.2
Completely certain that something will happen
1
8.8
Certain to happen without any doubt
1
9.9
Says that something will definitely happen or is true
1
9.8
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'.