of course! (1)

INFORMAL
This page is about the conversational phrase of course! (1)

Meaning

You can answer a question with this if you want to say "yes" very definitely or forcefully.

For example

  • "Do you like ice-cream?"
    "Of course! Who doesn't?"

  • "Can I take some time off for my honeymoon?"
    "Of course! Take as long as you like."

Note:
This is a shortened form of longer phrases like "Of course I do", "Of course you can", "Of course it is", etc. All these phrases can be said without "of", making them even more informal.

Quick Quiz

She said, "Do you think he's guilty?" and I said, "Of course!" This means

a. he was definitely guilty

b. I was sure he was guilty

c. I thought he might be guilty
a) he was definitely guilty b) I was sure he was guilty c) I thought he might be guilty

Contributor: Matt Errey