guesses
Shots in darkness
Guesses is the plural of guess and the third-person singular verb form.
A guess is an attempt to answer without certain knowledge: Take a few guesses.
To guess is to estimate or suppose: She guesses we'll arrive by noon.
The word implies uncertainty—sometimes informed judgment, sometimes shot-in-the-dark speculation.
Testable proposed explanation
- theoryExplanatory set of principles
- suppositionBelief without proof
- speculationUnproven theorizing or risky investment
- inferenceConclusion reached through reasoning
assumption · presumption · surmise · postulation · deduction · extrapolation · hunch · estimate
Unproven inner sense
- gut feelingInstinctive sense about something
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- inklingSlight, uncertain awareness
- suspicionSense of unease about motives
sixth sense · premonition · feeling · intuition · sense · impression · notion · sneaking suspicion
Informed guess at quantity
- approximationNear but inexact value
- ballpark figureRough numerical estimate
- rough estimateImprecise preliminary calculation
- calculationMathematical problem-solving process
assessment · guesstimate · reckoning · projection · judgment · valuation · measurement · quantification
Likelihood expressed numerically
- likelihoodChance something will occur
- chanceLikelihood of occurrence
- probabilityQuantified chance of occurrence
- statisticsCollected numerical information
randomness · uncertainty · certainty · prediction · outcome · risk · expectation · variance
hypothesis
Testable proposed explanation
- theoryExplanatory set of principles
- suppositionBelief without proof
- speculationUnproven theorizing or risky investment
inference · assumption · presumption · surmise · postulation · deduction · extrapolation · hunch · estimate · approximation
hunch
Unproven inner sense
- gut feelingInstinctive sense about something
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- inklingSlight, uncertain awareness
suspicion · sixth sense · premonition · feeling · intuition · sense · impression · notion · sneaking suspicion · vibe
estimate
Informed guess at quantity
- approximationNear but inexact value
- ballpark figureRough numerical estimate
- rough estimateImprecise preliminary calculation
calculation · assessment · guesstimate · reckoning · projection · judgment · valuation · measurement · quantification · range
odds
Likelihood expressed numerically
- likelihoodChance something will occur
- chanceLikelihood of occurrence
- probabilityQuantified chance of occurrence
statistics · randomness · uncertainty · certainty · prediction · outcome · risk · expectation · variance · frequency
trivia
Unimportant miscellaneous facts
Wordle · hangman · twenty questions · quiz · answer · clue · hint · correct · wrong · contestant
guessesknows
Possesses awareness of
certainties · facts · knowledge · certainty · sure things
guessescalculates
Performs mathematical operations
deduces · proves · measures · determines · computes
- guess whatPhrase preceding surprising news
- I guessUncertain agreement phrase
- take a guessAttempt without certainty
- wild guessUninformed speculation attempt
- guess whoPlayful identity challenge
- best guessLikeliest prediction attempted
guess, guessing, guessed, guesswork, unguessable, guesser, outguess, misguess, guessers