surmising
Forming educated guesses
Surmising is the act of forming an opinion or conclusion based on incomplete evidence—educated guessing rather than knowing: I'm only surmising here, but I think she left because of the argument.
The word carries a tentative quality, acknowledging uncertainty while still venturing a judgment.
Conclusions drawn without proof
- theorizingForming unproven explanations
- conjectureGuess from limited facts
- suppositionBelief without proof
- assumptionUnverified belief accepted as true
presumption · estimation · guesstimate · projection · prediction · forecasting · extrapolation · prognostication
Unproven inner sense
- gut feelingInstinctive sense about something
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- sixth senseExtrasensory perception ability
- insightDeep perceptive understanding
inkling · premonition · perception · intuitiveness · inner voice · foresight · suspicion · impression
Conclusion from premises
- conclusionEnd or deduction
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
- extrapolationExtending data beyond bounds
- inductionFormal admission process
conjecture · hypothesis · premise · implication · corollary · syllogism · proposition · logic
Lack of firm belief
- suspicionSense of unease about motives
- distrustAbsence of confidence
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
disbelief · dubiousness · wariness · hesitation · reservations · misgiving · incredulity · caution
Seeking answers through inquiry
- investigationFormal examination of facts
- probingThoroughly investigating something
- examinationMethodical assessment or review
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
exploration · scrutiny · inquiry · delving · studying · analyzing · evaluating · assessing
guesswork
Conclusions drawn without proof
- theorizingForming unproven explanations
- conjectureGuess from limited facts
- suppositionBelief without proof
assumption · presumption · estimation · guesstimate · projection · prediction · forecasting · extrapolation · prognostication · hypothesizing
hunch
Unproven inner sense
- gut feelingInstinctive sense about something
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- sixth senseExtrasensory perception ability
insight · inkling · premonition · perception · intuitiveness · inner voice · foresight · suspicion · impression · sense
deduction
Conclusion from premises
- conclusionEnd or deduction
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
- extrapolationExtending data beyond bounds
induction · conjecture · hypothesis · premise · implication · corollary · syllogism · proposition · logic · postulate
doubt
Lack of firm belief
- suspicionSense of unease about motives
- distrustAbsence of confidence
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
uncertainty · disbelief · dubiousness · wariness · hesitation · reservations · misgiving · incredulity · caution · tentativeness
questioning
Seeking answers through inquiry
- investigationFormal examination of facts
- probingThoroughly investigating something
- examinationMethodical assessment or review
research · exploration · scrutiny · inquiry · delving · studying · analyzing · evaluating · assessing · inspecting
- conjecturinghypothesizing, theorizing, speculating, conjecturing, supposing
- thinkingthinking, reasoning, thought, ponder, contemplate
- mental statesknowledge, conscious, mood, anxious, memory
surmisingknowing
Possessing awareness or insight
confirming · ascertaining · verifying · establishing · proving
surmisingwitnessing
Seeing something occur
discovering · finding out · experiencing · learning · measuring
mission, permit, submit, commission, permission, admission, submission, transmit, transmission