prophecy

/ˈprɒfəsi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈprɑːfəsi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈprä-fə-sē/ (ame, mw)

prophecy — 名詞

  • prophecysingular
  • propheciesplural

1. a spoken or written claim about coming events, especially one rooted in religiou

1.名詞B2
釋義

預言

對未來事件的陳述

a spoken or written claim about coming events, especially one rooted in religious faith rather than in evidence or known facts

例句

The ancient prophecy told of a great flood that would destroy the coastal city.

這則古老的預言提到一場大洪水將會摧毀那座沿海城市。

countable noun with 'of' complement

Eli believed the prophecy about the king's return was a sign of hope.

Eli 相信那則關於國王回歸的預言是希望的信號。

同義詞
  • prediction

    more general; can be based on data or reasoning, whereas prophecy suggests a spiritual source

  • forecast

    usually about weather or economics; implies systematic analysis rather than divine insight

  • divination

    specifically refers to predicting through supernatural or ritual methods; more formal and rare

文法句型

prophecy + about + noun

prophecy + that-clause

用法筆記

Countable noun. Often implies the prediction comes from a religious or spiritual source rather than logical reasoning.

常見錯誤

❌He made a prophecy about the weather tomorrow based on the radar.
✅He made a prediction about the weather tomorrow based on the radar.
💡'prediction' is based on evidence and data; 'prophecy' implies spiritual or faith-based insight rather than objective facts.

2. the natural ability or spiritual power to see events before they take place

2.名詞C1
釋義

預知能力

能預知未來的能力

the natural ability or spiritual power to see events before they take place

例句

Villagers believed the shaman received the gift of prophecy from the forest spirits.

村民們相信那位巫師從森林之靈那裡得到了預知能力的恩賜。

uncountable: 'gift of prophecy'

Lukas discovered his strange power of prophecy after dreaming about an earthquake before it struck.

Lukas 在夢見一場地震之後，發現自己擁有奇異的預知能力。

同義詞
  • foresight

    focuses on practical ability to plan ahead, lacks the spiritual or supernatural connotation of prophecy

  • clairvoyance

    specifically means perceiving future events through supernatural means; narrower and more formal

  • second sight

    informal idiom for the ability to see future events; more common in folk contexts

文法句型

gift of prophecy

power of prophecy

用法筆記

Uncountable noun — cannot be used with 'a' or made plural. Frequently appears in the fixed phrase 'gift of prophecy.' This sense is distinct from Sense 1 (PROPHETIC STATEMENT), which is a countable statement; Sense 2 refers to the general ability or power itself. When the noun is paired with verbs such as 'study' or 'learn,' the sentence may be ambiguous between this sense (the ability) and Sense 1 (the body of recorded statements); using the 'gift of prophecy' collocation clarifies the intended meaning.

常見錯誤

❌She has a prophecy that lets her see the future.
✅She has the gift of prophecy that lets her see the future.
💡'prophecy' as an ability is uncountable; use the fixed phrase 'gift of prophecy' or rephrase as 'power of prophecy'.