soothsayer
/ˈsuːθseɪə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsuːθseɪər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsüth-ˌsā-ər -ˌser/ (ame, mw)
soothsayer — noun
- soothsayersingular
- soothsayersplural
1. a person who claims to see or describe future events before they happen, often r
a person who claims to see or describe future events before they happen, often relying on mystical insight, dreams, or signs rather than logical proof
Mei-Lin paid a soothsayer at the night market to read her palm and describe the coming year.
pay + a soothsayer + to read palm (service transaction)
The villagers consulted the soothsayer before deciding where to dig a new well.
consult + the soothsayer before + [decision]
Kwame told the soothsayer his milk-river dream, and she read it as a sign of good fortune.
In the ancient tale, a soothsayer predicts that Princess Lucia will marry a foreign prince she has never met.
No one believed the soothsayer when she foretold the earthquake, but three days later the ground began to shake.
- fortune teller
much more common in everyday speech; soothsayer is more literary
- seer
emphasises the ability to see visions; slightly more mystical than soothsayer
- prophet
receives messages from a divine source; stronger religious connotation
文法句型
soothsayer + verb (predicts / foretells / warns)
consult + a + soothsayer
用法筆記
Common in historical, literary, or mythological contexts. In modern everyday speech, 'fortune teller' is more natural. The word 'soothsayer' carries an old-fashioned or formal tone.