Dictionary

soothsayer en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈsuːθˌseɪə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈsuθˌseɪɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English sothsaier, zothziggere, by surface analysis, sooth (“truth”) + sayer.

Meanings

1. One who attempts to predict the future, using magic, intuition or intelligence; a diviner.
   • The past twenty years have seen their share of soothsayers ready to predict with conviction one extreme or another of the alternative futures I have presented. 1988, Shoshana Zuboff, In the Age of the Smart Machine, New York: Basic Books, page 7:
   • The doomsday prophet / Whose words have all come true / The naysaying soothsayer / So cynical and blue 2025, Suzanne Vega, Gerry Leonard, “Speakers' Corner”, in Flying with Angels:
   • It is a great pleasure to be with you today and to speak to you concerning the future of medicine. In so doing, I do not wish to pose as a soothsayer or crystal gazer. 1951 March, John W. Cline, “The Future of Medicine”, in Northwest Medicine, volume 50, number 3, Portland, Ore.: Northwest Medical Publishing Association, page 165:
2. A mantis (Mantodea spp.)
3. (obsolete) One who tells the truth; a truthful person.
4. A double dart moth (Graphiphora augur).

Forms

Deriveds

soothsay

Relateds

prophet · seer · forsooth · prognosticator

Translations (133)

hy գուշակ (one who predicts the future) · vi thầy bói (one who predicts the future) · cmn 算命家 (one who predicts the future) · uk прови́дець (one who predicts the future) · fr devin (one who predicts the future) · sco suithsayar (one who predicts the future) · sco saga (one who predicts the future) · ca endevinaire (one who predicts the future) · sco weird-man (one who predicts the future) · be вяшчу́н (one who predicts the future) · sco witter-wife (one who predicts the future) · ar عَرَّاف (one who predicts the future) · sco suth sayar (one who tells the truth) · gv guess (one who predicts the future) · mk га́талец (one who predicts the future) · ru предсказа́тель (one who predicts the future) · pdt Woasaja (one who predicts the future) · pl wieszczek (one who predicts the future) · ru прови́дица (one who predicts the future) · cs věštec (one who predicts the future) · ast vidente (one who predicts the future) · it indovino (one who predicts the future) · nl waarzegster (one who predicts the future) · br divinour (one who predicts the future) · be празо́рлівец (one who predicts the future) · uk проро́к (one who predicts the future) · ru прови́дец (one who predicts the future) · de Hellseher (one who predicts the future) · ga fáistineach (one who predicts the future) · el μάντις (one who predicts the future) · ru прорица́тель (one who predicts the future) · fr prophétesse (one who predicts the future) · ang spæwīfe (one who predicts the future) · sco suthesayer (one who tells the truth) · ar بَصّار (one who predicts the future) · ru проро́к (one who predicts the future) · sco suthesayer (one who predicts the future) · cy daroganwraig (one who predicts the future) · es adivina (one who predicts the future) · sl prorok (one who predicts the future) · pl wieszcz (one who predicts the future) · gl agoireiro (one who predicts the future) · hu jós (one who predicts the future) · ar كاهِن (one who tells the truth) · br profed (one who predicts the future) · nn spåmann (one who predicts the future) · cmn 預言家 /预言家 (one who predicts the future) · sv siare (one who predicts the future) · ga fáidh (one who predicts the future) · de Seherin (one who predicts the future) · nb spåkone (one who predicts the future) · sco forteller (one who predicts the future) · de Zeichendeuter (one who predicts the future) · de Wahrsagerin (one who predicts the future) · fi totuudenpuhuja (one who tells the truth) · ar مُتَكَهِّن (one who predicts the future) · ga bean feasa (one who predicts the future) · ga fáidheadóir (one who predicts the future) · sk veštec (one who predicts the future) · ki mũragũri (one who predicts the future) · sco suithsayar (one who tells the truth) · da seer (one who predicts the future) · da spåmand (one who predicts the future) · sco spaer (one who predicts the future) · nl toekomstvoorspeller (one who predicts the future) · sco soothsayer (one who predicts the future) · nl wittiger (one who predicts the future) · ga mathmharc (one who predicts the future) · non spákona (one who predicts the future) · de Wahrsager (one who predicts the future) · ru прорица́тельница (one who predicts the future) · gv faaishnagh (one who predicts the future) · br diviner (one who predicts the future) · la python (one who predicts the future) · sco suithsayer (one who predicts the future) · sv spåman (one who predicts the future) · cy daroganwr (one who predicts the future) · sh gatar (one who predicts the future) · is spákona (one who predicts the future) · bg предсказател (one who predicts the future) · mk претска́жувач (one who predicts the future) · nl toekomstvoorspelster (one who predicts the future) · tr kâhin (one who predicts the future) · la vātēs (one who predicts the future) · de Seher (one who predicts the future) · is spámaður (one who predicts the future) · sco wizard (one who predicts the future) · sco foreteller (one who predicts the future) · ota فالجی (one who predicts the future) · nl waarzegger (one who predicts the future) · uk прові́сник (one who predicts the future) · de Spökenkieker (one who predicts the future) · ja 占い師 (one who predicts the future) · sh гатар (one who predicts the future) · la pythonissa (one who predicts the future) · ru вещу́нья (one who predicts the future) · nl profeet (one who predicts the future) · ko 점쟁이 (one who predicts the future) · grc μάντις (one who predicts the future) · ru вещу́н (one who predicts the future) · nn spåkone (one who predicts the future) · sh га̀тара (one who predicts the future) · pl prorokini (one who predicts the future) · sv sierska (one who predicts the future) · pac curu (one who predicts the future) · it indovina (one who predicts the future) · sv spåkvinna (one who predicts the future) · fr prophète (one who predicts the future) · fi ennustaja (one who predicts the future) · pl prawdomówna osoba (one who tells the truth) · grc χρησμῳδός (one who predicts the future) · pt adivinho (one who predicts the future) · pl prorok (one who predicts the future) · tr falcı (one who predicts the future) · pt adivinha (one who predicts the future) · ar مُتَنبِّئ (one who predicts the future) · uk віщу́н (one who predicts the future) · bg гадател (one who predicts the future) · sco soothsayer (one who tells the truth) · nb spåmann (one who predicts the future) · sl vedež (one who predicts the future) · gv fallogyssagh (one who predicts the future) · sco suth sayar (one who predicts the future) · pl wieszczka (one who predicts the future) · es adivino (one who predicts the future) · be прадказа́льнік (one who predicts the future) · ast adivín (one who predicts the future) · ru предсказа́тельница (one who predicts the future) · sco suithsayer (one who tells the truth) · gl adiviño (one who predicts the future) · ga fear feasa (one who predicts the future) · sh gàtara (one who predicts the future) · be праро́к (one who predicts the future)