soothsay
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of soothsay
First recorded in 1600–10; back formation from soothsayer
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:
But, he added, the ability to soothsay where a young man is going to be five years from now requires the scout to dig even deeper.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 7, 2016
A regular monthly column, for example, is called "Haruspex," for the Roman soothsay ers who divined the future by poking through the entrails of sacrificial animals.
From Time Magazine Archive
As soon as he was a little restored, Dontsovna came to him to soothsay; but she told him nothing good.
From With Fire and Sword An Historical Novel of Poland and Russia. by Henryk Sienkiewicz
Oddly enough, though every one in the Settlement had heard the soothsay, and nobody doubted it, she was the only person concerned who took it closely to heart.
From Gudrid the Fair A Tale of the Discovery of America by Maurice Henry Hewlett
V. predict, prognosticate, prophesy, vaticinate, divine, foretell, soothsay, augurate†, tell fortunes; cast a horoscope, cast a nativity; advise; forewarn &c.
From Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Peter Mark Roget
He was also a savvy entrepreneur and fabulist who, despite being illiterate and shunned by the Catholic Church, carved out a life soothsaying and healing ailing neighbors.
From New York Times ● Jul. 6, 2022
A Dutch ship’s doctor who met him in the 1750s reported that he had earned a reputation there for sagacity and soothsaying.
From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2018
At least this is definitive proof that The Post doesn’t pay me for soothsaying.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 22, 2017
Honestly, there was so much loudmouthed soothsaying that it was hard to tell who was saying what.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 21, 2016
Chase didn’t want to get into Momma Rossi’s soothsaying.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
