guesstimating
Roughly calculating something
Guesstimating is forming a rough estimate based partly on guesswork and partly on calculation or experience: I'm just guesstimating here, but I'd say the project will take about six weeks.
The blend of guess and estimate captures the informal nature—more grounded than a wild guess, less precise than a proper calculation.
Sports venue or estimate
- roughUneven in surface
- impreciseLacking exactness or accuracy
- inexactLacking full accuracy
- back-of-envelopeInformal preliminary calculation
loose · fuzzy · vague · broad · general · qualitative · unscientific · guesswork
Unproven inner sense
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- spitballMoistened paper projectile
- stabPierce with point
- swagStolen goods, slang
seat-of-pants · off-the-cuff · offhand · gut-check · ballparking · winging-it
Uncertain and provisional
- speculativeBased on conjecture
- doubtfulUncertain of truth
- unsureLacking confidence or certainty
- questionableOf uncertain validity
unreliable · unconfirmed · iffy · provisional · hedged · conditional · approximate · imprecise
Estimating future conditions
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- evaluationDetermining worth or quality
- quantificationExpressing something numerically
- measurementDetermining size or amount
reckoning · gauging · computation · valuation · appraisal · budgeting · costing · sizing
Unproven theorizing or risky investment
- inferenceConclusion reached through reasoning
- extrapolationExtending data beyond bounds
- projectionSomething that extends outward
- predictionForecast of coming events
hypothesis · assumption · presumption · surmise · postulation · deduction · theory · forecast
ballpark
Sports venue or estimate
back-of-envelope · loose · fuzzy · vague · broad · general · qualitative · unscientific · guesswork · eyeballing
hunch
Unproven inner sense
swag · seat-of-pants · off-the-cuff · offhand · gut-check · ballparking · winging-it
tentative
Uncertain and provisional
- speculativeBased on conjecture
- doubtfulUncertain of truth
- unsureLacking confidence or certainty
questionable · unreliable · unconfirmed · iffy · provisional · hedged · conditional · approximate · imprecise · inconclusive
forecasting
Estimating future conditions
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- evaluationDetermining worth or quality
- quantificationExpressing something numerically
measurement · reckoning · gauging · computation · valuation · appraisal · budgeting · costing · sizing · projecting
speculation
Unproven theorizing or risky investment
- inferenceConclusion reached through reasoning
- extrapolationExtending data beyond bounds
- projectionSomething that extends outward
prediction · hypothesis · assumption · presumption · surmise · postulation · deduction · theory · forecast · prognosis
- approximatingguessing, rounding, ballparking, eyeballing, gauging
guesstimatingcomputing
Processing data mathematically
quantifying · scientific measurement · calibrating · tabulating · measuring
guesstimatingascertaining
Discovering with certainty
confirming · establishing · proving · verifying · certifying