What does surely mean?
Surely means Without fail..
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/ˈʃɔːli/ · adverb
Without fail..
slowly but surely
Surely, you must be joking.
You don’t suppose we're going to pay for you, surely?
She’s surely got the letter by now.
But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window[…].
The money feels good / And your life you like it well / But surely your time will come / As in heaven, as in hell
Ted Striker: The stewardess said... both pilots?! Dr. Rumack: Can you fly this plane and land it? Ted Striker: Surely you can't be serious. Dr. Rumack: I am serious; and don't call me Shirley.
Here perhaps one of you might interrupt me and say, 'But what is it that you do, Socrates? How is it that you have been misrepresented like this? Surely all this talk and gossip about you would never have arisen if you had confined yourself to ordinary activities, but only if your behaviour was abnormal. Give us the explanation, if you do not want us to draw our own conclusions.'
Use surely when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Surely means Without fail..
Common synonyms include certainly, wis, sure, sure enough.
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
slowly but surely
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