soothsayer
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of soothsayer
First recorded in 1300–50, soothsayer is from the Middle English word sothseyere, sothseyer. See sooth, say 1, -er 1
Explanation
A soothsayer is someone who can foretell the future. If the convincing soothsayer at the state fair tells you you'll soon meet someone tall, dark, and handsome, you'll probably keep your eye out for someone who fits that description. A fortune teller is also known as a soothsayer, or someone who claims to be able to predict the future. Long ago, a soothsayer might have been considered a useful consultant, even for a government, but today soothsayers are more likely to be scoffed at. Still, there are many soothsayers who have successful businesses telling people's fortunes and giving advice. Soothsayer comes from the Old English word for "truth," combined with "say," together meaning "an act of speaking the truth."
Vocabulary lists containing soothsayer
Julius Caesar
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The Westing Game
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The Wednesday Wars
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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.
The remaining four actors shoulder the 21 other major roles, as well as “Lords, Ladies, Roman Senators, Tribunes, a Dutch Gentleman, a Spanish Gentleman, a Soothsayer, Musicians, Officers, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.”
From New York Times • Sep. 2, 2011
Says Science-Fiction Soothsayer Isaac Asimov: "Robots will leave to human beings the tasks that are intrinsically human, such as sports, entertainment, scientific research."
From Time Magazine Archive
At twelve, in the progressive Todd School for Boys in Woodstock, Ill., Orson was staging his first production of Julius Caesar�in which he played the Soothsayer, Cassius and Marc Antony with relay-race technique.
From Time Magazine Archive
Ever since her forecast of John Kennedy's assassination came true, Soothsayer Jeane Dixon's words and prophecies have been eagerly awaited by a multitude of followers.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Madame, I have been told you are a true Soothsayer from Beyond. A Seer Through the Veil. A person who can Glimpse Beyond the Mist.”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
