presuming
- 1Present participle and gerund of presume.
Presuming the report was accurate, the committee approved the new budget.
He answered the question without presuming to know every detail.
Note
Two quite different meanings of presume meet in this form. Presuming with a clause means supposing, and it opens a sentence the way assuming does: presuming the figures hold. Presuming to with an infinitive means daring without permission, and presuming on or upon means taking advantage of someone's goodwill. The supposing sense is neutral. The other two carry the reproach that the adjective keeps.
- 2Behaving with excessive confidence or arrogance, overstepping the bounds of what is reasonable or proper.
Like an acquaintance who invites himself along and starts giving you advice on your own affairs.
The presuming young clerk corrected his employer in front of the clients.
She found his presuming tone insufferable throughout the negotiation.
Similarpresumptuous, arrogant, forward, impertinent, overbearing
Oppositemodest, humble, deferential, respectful
Showing meanings only.
presuming is a form of presume
presume, verb: To take something to be true without proof, or to suppose it on the basis of what seems likely. Full entry
- Spelling
- presume → presuming: drop the e, add -ing
Use it in a sentence
Write your own sentence with presuming, and AI will tell you whether it fits and which meaning you used.