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fortune-telling

  • a variation of fortunetelling.
    fortunetelling
    noun
    the act or practice of predicting the future.
  • a word derived from fortune-teller.
    fortune-teller
    noun
    a person who claims the ability to predict the future.

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:

In Rye: Playing a boy named Josh in the movie “Big,” Tom Hanks consults Zoltar, a fortune-telling machine at Playland Amusement Park.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

"People struggling with trouble turn to fortune-telling and Yadaya, seeking the power and belief derived from it," said Linn Nhyo Taryar.

From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025

For example, the Tarot deck, originally for competitive card games, later morphed into a tool for fortune-telling.

From National Geographic ● Nov. 3, 2023

Those who conjure frightening futures aren’t in the business of fortune-telling, only in the sharing of cautionary tales.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2023

When we rushed to her, we found her sitting on the floor with her fortune-telling sticks spread around her.

From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin