assure

assure — verb

1. to speak firmly and confidently to a worried listener so they stop having doubts

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to speak firmly and confidently to a worried listener so they stop having doubts about a fact or about something that will happen.

例句

Dr. Nikolai assured Noa that the test results were completely normal.

assure + somebody + that-clause

The pilot assured the nervous passengers of a smooth landing in Taipei.

assure + somebody + of + noun

同義詞
  • reassure

    stronger focus on calming someone who is already worried

  • promise

    more about a personal commitment than confirming a fact

  • convince

    succeeds in changing the listener's mind, not just stating something firmly

反義詞
  • warn

    tells someone of danger rather than calming their doubts

文法句型

assure + somebody + (that)-clause

assure + somebody + of + noun

assure + somebody + "direct speech"

用法筆記

Object must be a person or group, never a thing. Distinguish from sense 2 (MAKE CERTAIN), where the object is the outcome itself, not a listener.

常見錯誤

❌He assured that the train was on time.
✅He assured us that the train was on time.
💡assure in this sense always needs a person as direct object.
❌She assured to me that everything was fine.
✅She assured me that everything was fine.
💡no preposition before the person.

2. to do something that guarantees a future result will definitely happen, such as

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to do something that guarantees a future result will definitely happen, such as a victory, a place, or a supply.

例句

Two early goals from Bram assured the team a place in the final.

assure + somebody + noun (guaranteed outcome)

Strong sales in Asia have assured the company's profits for another year.

assure + noun (future result)

同義詞
  • guarantee

    more common and slightly less formal in everyday writing

  • secure

    emphasises obtaining something through effort

  • ensure

    wider use; assure suggests a stronger, almost absolute result

反義詞
  • jeopardise

    puts a future result at risk rather than locking it in

文法句型

assure + noun (outcome)

assure + somebody + noun

用法筆記

Subject is typically a cause, action, or quality (not a speaker). Object is the outcome itself. Often appears in the passive ("victory was assured"). Distinguish from sense 1, where the object is always a person.

常見錯誤

❌He assured me victory by training hard.
✅His hard training assured victory.
💡in this sense, the cause is the subject; the listener is not the focus.

3. (used by British insurance firms) to formally promise, in exchange for regular s

3.動詞及物
釋義

(used by British insurance firms) to formally promise, in exchange for regular small contributions, that money will be paid out when somebody dies — usually to that person's family.

例句

Mr. Patel had assured his life for £200,000 to protect his three children.

assure + one's life + for + amount

All staff at the factory are assured against accidental death at work.

passive: be assured against + risk

同義詞
  • insure

    the standard modern word, used for all kinds of risks (cars, homes, lives)

  • underwrite

    technical term for an insurance company taking on a risk

文法句型

assure + somebody/something

assure + somebody + against + noun

用法筆記

Almost only British, almost only in life-insurance contracts. Americans and most modern British speakers use "insure" instead. Often seen in the fixed phrase "assured sum" or in company names ending in "Life Assurance".

常見錯誤

❌I assured my new car last week.
✅I insured my new car last week.
💡assure for property/cars sounds wrong; use insure.