suppose

suppose
[[t]səpo͟ʊz[/t]]
♦♦
supposes, supposing, supposed
1) VERB You can use suppose or supposing before mentioning a possible situation or action. You usually then go on to consider the effects that this situation or action might have.

[V that] Suppose someone gave you an egg and asked you to describe exactly what was inside...

[V that] Supposing he's right and I do die tomorrow? Maybe I should take out an extra insurance policy.

Syn:
2) VERB If you suppose that something is true, you believe that it is probably true, because of other things that you know.

[V that] The policy is perfectly clear and I see no reason to suppose that it isn't working...

[V that] I knew very well that the problem was more complex than he supposed...

[it be V-ed that] It had been supposed that by then Peter would be married. [Also V n]

3) PHRASE: oft PHR that, PHR so/not (vagueness) You can say `I suppose' when you want to express slight uncertainty. [SPOKEN]

I get a bit uptight these days. Hormones, I suppose...

I suppose I'd better do some homework...

Is that the right way up? - Yeah. I suppose so...

There's nothing to keep us here, is there? - I suppose not.

4) PHRASE: PHR that (feelings) You can say `I suppose' or `I don't suppose' before describing someone's probable thoughts or attitude, when you are impatient or slightly angry with them. [SPOKEN]

I suppose you think you're funny...

I don't suppose it occurred to you to notify the police.

5) PHRASE: PHR that (politeness) You can say `I don't suppose' as a way of introducing a polite request. [SPOKEN]

I don't suppose you could tell me where James Street is could you?

6) PHRASE: PHR that You can use `do you suppose' to introduce a question when you want someone to give their opinion about something, although you know that they are unlikely to have any more knowledge or information about it than you. [SPOKEN]

Do you suppose he was telling the truth?...

What do you suppose they want with her?...

You don't suppose they'd start the trip without us, do you?

7) PHRASE: PHR that (politeness) You can use `do you suppose' as a polite way of suggesting or requesting that someone does something.

Do you suppose we could get together for a little chat sometime soon?


English dictionary. 2008.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?
Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • supposé — supposé, ée [ sypoze ] adj. • attesté XVIIe; de supposer 1 ♦ Admis comme hypothèse. Considéré comme probable. Le nombre supposé des victimes. L auteur supposé du vol. ⇒ présumé. Père supposé. ⇒ putatif. L auteur supposé d un livre. ⇒ prétendu. 2… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • supposé — supposé, ée (su pô zé, zée) part. passé de supposer. 1°   Posé pour hypothèse. Ce fait supposé vrai.    Cela supposé, dans cette supposition.    Supposé (invariable), en supposant. •   Je montre aux premiers que, supposé l exemple des saints,… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • suppose — [sə pōz′] vt. supposed, supposing [ME supposen < MFr supposer, to suppose, imagine, altered (infl. by poser: see POSE1) < ML supponere, to suppose, assume < L, to put under, substitute < sub ,SUB + ponere: see POSITION] 1. to assume… …   English World dictionary

  • Suppose — Sup*pose , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Supposed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Supposing}.] [F. supposer; pref. sub under + poser to place; corresponding in meaning to L. supponere, suppositum, to put under, to substitute, falsify, counterfeit. See {Pose}.] 1. To… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Suppose — Sup*pose , n. Supposition. [Obs.] Shak. A base suppose that he is honest. Dryden. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • suppose — suppose, supposing Both words are used as quasi conjunctions to introduce an assumption or hypothesis: • Suppose the guards were more alert, security measures more effective R. Ludlum, 1978 • Supposing there s a change of venue CNN news… …   Modern English usage

  • suppose — [v1] assume, guess accept, admit, brainstorm, calculate, conjecture, cook up*, dare say*, deem, divine, dream, estimate, expect, figure, go out on a limb*, grant, guesstimate*, hazard a guess*, hypothesize, imagine, infer, judge, opine, posit,… …   New thesaurus

  • Suppose — Sup*pose , v. i. To make supposition; to think; to be of opinion. Acts ii. 15. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • suppose — I verb allude to, anticipate, assume, believe, be of the opinion, calculate, conceive, conclude, conjecture, consider, deduce, deduct, deem, estimate, expect, feel, gather, gauge, generalize, guess, hint, hypothesize, imagine, imply, infer,… …   Law dictionary

  • suppose — early 14c., to assume as the basis of argument, from O.Fr. supposer to assume, probably a replacement of *suppondre (influenced by O.Fr. poser put, place ), from L. supponere put or place under, from sub under + ponere put, place (see POSITION… …   Etymology dictionary

  • supposé — Supposé, [suppos]ée. part …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

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