Confident - Convinced - Certain - Positive - Clear
These words all describe sb who knows without doubt that sth is true or will happen.
Sure (not before noun) without any doubt that you are right, that sth is true, that you will get sth or that sth will happen: ‘Is that John over there?' ‘I’m not sure.’ | Are you sure about that? | England must win this game to be sure of qualifying. Sure is often used in negative statements and questions, because there is some doubt or anxiety over the matter. If there is no doubt, people often say quite sure: I’m quite sure (that) I left my bag here (= I have no doubt about it).
Confident completely sure that sth will happen in the way that you want or expect: I'm quite confident that you’ll get the job. | The team feels confident of winning. Confident is a stronger and more definite word than sure and is more often used in positive statements, when you feel no anxiety.
Convinced (not before noun) completely sure that sth is true or right, especially because the evidence seems to prove it or sb else has persuaded you to believe it: I’m convinced that she’s innocent.
Certain (not usually before noun) sure that you are right or that sth is true: Are you absolutely certain about this?
Positive [not before noun] (rather informal) completely sure that sth is true: She was positive that he’d been there. | ‘Are you sure?’ ‘Positive.’
Clear (often used in negative statements and questions) having no doubt or confusion about sth: My memory isn’t really clear on that point.
SURE OR CERTAIN?
Like sure, certain is often used in negative statements and questions. It is slightly more formal than sure; sure is more frequent, especially in spoken English.
PATTERNS
*sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive/clear about sth
*sure/confident/convinced/certain of sth
*sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive/dear that...
*sure/certain/clear who/what/how, etc.
*to feel sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive
*quite/absolutely/completely/fairly/pretty sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive/clear
*not altogether sure/confident/convinced/certain/clear
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Top Tips Abz Ingles - Notes on usage - Synonyms
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