Synonyms

crystal ball

American

noun

a ball of clear crystal, glass, or the like, used in crystal gazing.
a method or means of predicting the future.

crystal ball British

noun

the glass globe used in crystal gazing

"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

crystal ball Idioms

A means of predicting the future, as in So what does your crystal ball say about the coming election? The term is a figurative use of the crystal or glass ball used by fortune-tellers. [c. 1900]

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

crystal balls

plural

Etymology

Origin of crystal ball

First recorded in 1850–55

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.

See Examples For:

crystal ball

If you have a crystal ball that will tell me I will need memory care in old age, please share.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

I don’t have a crystal ball, but history is instructive.

From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026

Time to dust off the crystal ball once more and have a crack at predicting where the 20 Premier League teams will finish this season.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

But it starts with trying to get it as accurate as possible in our crystal ball, looking forward to where we’re gonna be.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Harry glanced into the crystal ball but saw nothing but swirling white mist.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

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