Cassandra

American

[kuh-san-druh] / kəˈsæn drə /

noun

Also called Alexandra. Classical Mythology. a daughter of Priam and Hecuba, a prophet cursed by Apollo so that her prophecies, though true, were fated never to be believed.
a person who prophesies doom or disaster.
a female given name: from a Greek word meaning “helper of men.”

Cassandra British

/ kəˈsændrə /

noun

Greek myth a daughter of Priam and Hecuba, endowed with the gift of prophecy but fated never to be believed
anyone whose prophecies of doom are unheeded

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cassandra Cultural

In classical mythology, a prophetess in Troy during the Trojan War (see also Trojan War) whose predictions, although true, were never believed by those around her. Apollo had given her the gift of prophecy but made it worthless after she refused his amorous advances. The Greeks captured Cassandra after their victory and sacrilegiously removed her from the temple of Athena. As a result, Athena helped cause shipwrecks and enormous loss of life to the Greeks on their return home.

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A “Cassandra” is someone who constantly predicts bad news.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Our vet staff is using some really amazing therapies to help her with that healing,” said Cassandra Davis, director of volunteer services for the aquarium.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Elouise Hill lives in England and said she was "really grateful" that she would get the get the 30 hours on offer there when her baby daughter, Cassandra, reaches nine months.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

When I first told my lovely wife Cassandra about my plans to proto-looksmax 11 years ago, she said, “Oh, great. Now I have to get in shape.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

That said, it was heartening to witness the first-ever Oscar for best casting, which went to “One Battle After Another” casting director Cassandra Kulukundis.

From Salon • Mar. 16, 2026

A school with more than three thousand students will give you lots of options, Cassandra.

From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023