noun

soothsayer

SOOTH-say-ur/ˈsuːθseɪər/

A person believed to predict the future.

The soothsayer claims to know what the future holds.

Fortune teller claims to read the future.

Etymology

soothOld Englishtruth

+sayOld Englishto speak, tell

+erEnglishperson who does

A soothsayer was originally a speaker of truth or a candid adviser. The word then came to identify someone claiming to tell the truth about events that had not yet happened.

In context

Libertarianism.org7:48

she said I'm a soothsayer who the heck calls themselves a soothsayer

Dred Scott's Revenge: A Legal History of Race and Freedom in America

More examples

The soothsayer predicts a long journey for the traveler.
Few villagers trust the soothsayer's warnings about the harvest.
In the story, two soothsayers disagree about the prince's future.

Forms

soothsayer · soothsayers

soothsaying noun — The practice of claiming to predict the future.

Similar words

seer: Emphasizes someone believed to receive visions of future events.
diviner: Often uses signs or rituals to discover hidden knowledge.
prophet: Usually claims divine inspiration, not merely knowledge of future events.