Certainty: English Vocabulary List

to express strongly and confidently that something is undoubtedly true or will certainly happen

"I bet my bottom dollar he is late."

"I would bet my bottom dollar that he forgets our anniversary again this year like he always does."

to be cautious and not assume that something will succeed or happen as planned, as there is always a possibility of unforeseen obstacles or problems

"Don't count your chickens yet."

"You should not count your chickens before they hatch because unexpected problems can always arise."

used when one can claim that something is true with all one's certainty

"He is guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt."

"The evidence proved his guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt and the jury took only one hour to reach their verdict."

used to show one's utmost certainty about something

"Dollars to doughnuts, it will rain today."

"I bet dollars to doughnuts that he will forget our anniversary again this year like he always does."

used to say that something is so obvious that there is no need for further explanation

"It goes without saying that I love you."

"It goes without saying that you should arrive on time for your job interview if you want to make a good impression on the employer."

used when one is certain that something will happen at some point in the future

"Mark my words — this will cause problems later."

"Mark my words, she told the board, cutting the training budget now will cost far more in the long run."

to do something that ensures that someone or something fails or something unpleasant happens to them

"His confession sealed his fate."

"His confession sealed his fate and the judge sentenced him to twenty years in prison without any possibility of parole."

denoting something that has been tested many times and proved to be reliable or effective

"This is a tried and true method."

"This tried and true recipe has been passed down through five generations of our family and never fails to impress our guests."

a way of proving the validity of a claim or determining the success rate of a plan

"The final game will be the acid test."

"The final game will be the acid test and we will see if the team is truly championship material."

a feeling of remorse, and reservation that one gets upon facing a challenge or finding oneself in an unexpected situation

"A backward glance."

"He took a backward glance at his past mistakes before starting his new venture."

to believe something strongly, even though one cannot explain why

"I feel it in my bones that something is wrong."

"She felt in her bones that something was wrong even though everyone told her not to worry."

in a way that is most clear or direct

"She told him no in no uncertain terms."

"The teacher told the students in no uncertain terms that cheating would not be tolerated in her classroom ever again."

a situation in which any decision made cannot be undone

"This is a one-way ticket."

"Quitting your job without a backup plan felt like buying a one-way ticket to uncertainty."

to certainly happen at some point in the future

"It is only a matter of time."

"With so many mistakes in the company, it was just a matter of time before the business finally collapsed."

used to imply that something is reliable, certain, and can be trusted completely

"You can take this to bank."

"Her consistent performance in exams means you can take her ability to succeed to the bank."

in a way that is free of all ambiguity or uncertainty

"She is hands down the best player."

"She is hands down the best singer in our school because her voice is absolutely incredible and unique."

something that is assumed to be true or already decided upon before any evidence or arguments are presented

"The election result seemed a foregone conclusion."

"The victory was a foregone conclusion long before the match even started yesterday."